RANTHAMBHORE :: GEOGRAPHY
The Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is the single largest expanse of dry deciduous Anogeissus pendula Forest left intact in India. Such forests were found all along the North and Central Aravalis but in the last few decades they have been badly degraded and right now this Tiger Reserve is their last strong hold. In Ranthambore the bio diversity is made even richer by the intrusion of the Vindhyan hill system.
The areas surrounding the Tiger reserve have been totally deforested and as a result, the Ranthambore tiger reserve is now an "ecological island surrounded by farmlands and overgrazed pastures." It is is home to over 40 species of mammals, 320 species of birds, over 40 species of reptiles and over 300 species of plants. (Ref: Dr. Dharmendra Khandal - Bio-diversity of Ranthambore 2004).
Panthera tigris tigris - the Indian or the Bengal Tiger is the flagship species of Rantambhore and right now it is the only place in Rajasthan where tigers exist. In that sense it is on the westernmost extent of the tiger's distribution on the earth. If the tigers are to spread to the other surrounding forests of the Aravalis the Ranthambhore is the only "nursery" that can make it possible.
The Ranthambore tiger reserve is also a crucial link and wildlife corridor between a chain of Protected Areas from Dholpur district in the North-East to the Kota district in the South-West. In this chain of Protected areas, not only does Ranthambhore have the highest bio-diversity but it is the only Protected area that has large and viable populations of mega fauna.
This Project tiger reserve is also an invaluable watershed for the surrounding areas, a fact that is made more significant considering that the surrounding areas have low annual rainfall. Ranthambhore is an important catchment area for the river Chambal, which in turn, is an important river in the Gangetic system. The reserve is also the most important catchment for a large number of reservoirs that surround it. It also plays a very important role in recharging the ground water of the area. These reservoirs and the ground water are the only source of water for entire surrounding area. The river Gambhir that flows out of the Reserve is the most important source of water for the wetlands of Bharatpur district.
Terrain
The terrain of Ranthambhore tiger reserve is mostly rugged and hilly and is intimately related to the Great boundary fault.
The hills to the northwest of fault-line are the Aravalis and typically have ridges on one side and gentle slope on the other. This Aravali tract is highly undulating except for a few small plateaus and some small valleys. These valleys are teeming with wildlife and are the richest wildlife areas in the entire reserve. Most of Ranthambore national park's tigers are found in these valleys. The highest point of this tract is Gazella peak, 507 meters above M.S.L. The lowest altitude of this tract is 244 meters above M.S.L. at Bodal. Streams flowing in northern tract form the catchment of the river Banas and streams flowing in southern tract drain directly in the river Chambal. Most of the streams are very short lived but the streams facing sharp ridges maybe perennial, as the folded impervious rocky strata beneath, does not permit the water to percolate.
The hills south west of Great boundary fault are the Vindhyas. The sand stone beds of these hills are flat-topped and form extensive table lands known as "Dangs". These dangs rise abruptly from flat ground and have sandstone ridges running continuously along their edges. At places, small and short-lived streams have eroded deep, long and narrow gorges that are locally known as "Khohs". The khohs are cool and retain moisture even in the hot summer and are main wild life areas in all the parts of Project tiger reserve. The Kela Devi sanctuary has some of the longest and the widest khos.
The ravines are prominent feature of both the rivers, the Chambal and the Banas. These ravines are formed due to sandy nature of the soil along the banks of the rivers. Along the Chambal, the ravines are as deep as 50 mts and extend up to 8 kms in length. The ravines are very important for the lesser fauna.
Climate
The Ranthambhore tiger reserve, with its sub-tropical dry climate, has three very well defined seasons - summers, winters and monsoons. October and March are the time when the weather changes from monsoons to winters and from winters to summers, respectively.
Summers start during the end of March and last through the months of April, May and June. During this season the days are very hot and dry. During May and June the maximum day temperature crosses 40 degrees Centigrade and the minimum night temperature still hovers around 30 degrees Centigrade. During the day, hot and dry winds (loo) blow. In the summers the dangs are almost totally devoid of wildlife during the day. Most of the ungulates and the large predators spend the summer months in the valleys and the khos. The maximum day temperature often crosses 45 degrees C in May and June, when the relative humidity is at its lowest.
The monsoons or the rainy season lasts from July to September. This season is warm and humid, with one or two short thundershowers a week. Often there are long periods (10 to 15 days) with no rains. During such long breaks in the monsoon rains, the weather can get very hot and humid. Droughts are a common occurrence in and around Ranthambore. During monsoons the dangs have good cover grasses and herbs and as a result the ungulates tend to concentrate on the dangs and the larger predators follow them there. The average annual rainfall is 800 mm and there are an average of 38 rainy days per year and nearly 90% of them are in the monsoon months.
The winter season lasts from November to February. The night temperature stays below 10 degrees Centigrade, while the day temperature hovers around the 20 degree Centigrade mark. There is often some rain and fog during the mid winters. During December and January the lowest night time temperature goes down to 2 degrees C.