Researchers have conducted a new study in Gujarat’s Kachchh district, home to one of India’s largest grasslands, assessing areas in Banni for sustainable restoration, with ecological value as the primary focus.
Grasslands
About: These are one of the largest ecosystems in the world.
Habitat: They are distributed mainly in semiarid and arid areas, and include savannahs, grassy shrublands, and open grasslands.
Biodiversity: They harbour a large number of unique and iconic species and offer a variety of material and intangible advantages to people, including several ecosystem services such as carbon storage, climate mitigation, and pollination.
As much as 49% of grassland areas worldwide are estimated to be experiencing degradation.
Grasslands in India: Cover approximately eight lakh sq. km, accounting for about 24% of the country’s total land area.
Threatened by: Agricultural conversion, tree-based plantation projects, invasive species, and mega-development projects.
Banni Grasslands: The Kachchh district in Gujarat houses one of India’s largest grassland tracts, known as ‘Banni’, which has reduced in size from approximately 3,800 sq. km to about 2,600 sq. km.
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