Prelims 2012 · archive
MediumThe Government of India encourages the cultivation of ‘sea buckthorn’. What is the importance of this plant:
- 1.It helps in controlling soil erosion and in preventing desertification.
- 2.It is a rich source of biodiesel.
- 3.It has nutritional value and is well-adapted to live in cold areas of high altitudes.
- 4.Its timber is of great commercial value.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Answer (c), statements 1 and 3 only. Sea buckthorn is a hardy, nitrogen-fixing shrub found in India's cold Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan deserts. Its extensive roots bind soil and check erosion, and its berries are nutritious. It is valued for its berries and soil conservation, not for biodiesel or timber.
- ✓ 1. The plant develops extensive root systems that hold the soil together and prevent erosion, and it fixes nitrogen. It is drought resistant and has been widely planted for soil conservation and site rehabilitation. This makes it useful for stabilising fragile, desertifying land.
- ✗ 2. Sea buckthorn is grown for its berries and for ecological restoration, not as a biodiesel crop. India's biodiesel efforts centred on plants such as jatropha and pongamia.
- ✓ 3. Its berries are highly nutritious and especially rich in vitamin C. The plant withstands cold weather and extreme temperatures from -43°C to +40°C, so it is well adapted to cold, high-altitude areas such as Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti.
- ✗ 4. It is a thorny shrub or small tree, not a timber species. Its commercial value comes from berry-based products, not from its wood.
Remember · Sea buckthorn (marketed as 'Leh berry') is a nitrogen-fixing, cold-hardy shrub of the high Himalaya. It is prized for vitamin-rich berries and for checking soil erosion, not for timber or biodiesel.
Sources
- GEF – Picking berries, protecting mountains (seabuckthorn in Himachal Pradesh) ↗ · reference work “The bushes can withstand cold weather and develop extensive root systems that can hold the soil together, preventing soil erosion. They are also capable of fixing nitrogen”
- Ministry of Environment and Forests – National Mission for a Green India ↗ “The plant is hardy, can withstand extreme temperatures from -43°C to +40°C, and is considered to be drought resistant.”
- FAO – Forestry and Society Newsletter note on seabuckthorn ↗ “Seabuckthorn has also been extensively planted in China for soil conservation and site rehabilitation because of its nitrogen-fixing ability and tolerance of extreme conditions.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·