Grasslands

Kachchh district harbors grasslands/pasture lands which were once the largest grasslands in Asia, in the form of Banni that extended to around 3, 000 km². In addition, the grasslands in Abdasa taluka known as the Naliya grasslands are presently the only natural grasslands extending to about 160 km². Over and above, there are open grasslands; grasses under tree cover (forest) spread over other parts, from east to west, mainly on the hilly undulating tracts of Kachchh. All these are in a much degraded state. In Kachchh, all villages have their grazing lands called “Gauchar lands” but all are in a degraded state due to lack of proper management and maintenance.

In the lowlands of Banni, mixed halophyte scrub savannah is the dominant vegetation type. This type is well adapted to stress and can withstand high grazing pressure. At man-made water conservation areas, locally called jheel, more favorable micro climate conditions exist, permitting the growth of vegetation which is richer in species and reveals a larger spread of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees.

Banni refers to an arid region that is covered with coarse and low perennial grasses like Desmostachya bipinnata (Dhrab), Sporobolus marginatus (Dhrabad), Dichanthium annulatum (Jinjvo), Cenchrus ciliaris (Dhaman), Sporobolus sps. (Khevai), and Chloris barbata (Siyarpuchha); and sparsely distributed colonies of Cynodon dactylon (Chhabar), Dactyloctenium sindicum (Madhanu), Eleusine compressa (Nanu Mandhanu); besides sedge like Eleocharis atropurpurea (Nano Chiyo), Cyperus rotundus (Chiyo), Scirpus sps. (Kal, Kaluro) and coarse and pioneer colonizing grasses like Aeluropus lagopoides (Khariyu) and Cressa cretica (Oin) occur extensively. Undershrubs like Suaeda fruticosa (Lano), Suaeda maritimum (Moto Lano), Suaeda nudiflora (Unt Morad), and Tamarix aphylla (Lai), occur abundantly all over especially in the places where water logging occurs in pools during the rainy season and sedges with annual grasses also occur around the fringes of such pooling spots. Today, palatable grass and tree species like Acacia nilotica (Desi bavar), Salvadora persica (Khari Jar) and S. Oleoides (Mithi Jar) are though present, their abundance has decreased very significantly due to the invasion of Prosopis juliflora (Gando Bavar).