Pollen evidence of late-quaternary vegetation and climate change in Northeastern Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Pollen analysis of 1·5 m deep sediment core from Jagmotha Swamp, Sidhi (M.P.). India has shown that between 6.500 to 4,250 yrs BP, the tree-savannah vegetation chiefly comprising grasses, sedges, Cheno/Ams, Artemisia together with scattered trees such as Emblica officinalis, Terminalia and Syzygium existed in the region under cool and dry climatic regime with an ameliorating trend. Between 4,250 to 2,900 yrs BP, the tree-savannahs transformed into open mixed deciduous forests with the invasion of some more deciduous trees viz., Adina cordifolia, Holoptelea and Lagerstroemia, indicating the onset of warm and moist climate. Subsequently, between 2.900 to 1.050 yrs BP the mixed deciduous forests became dense and diversified as evidenced from the improved frequencies of most of the tree taxa as well as immigration of Shorea robusta (sal) along with Lannea coromandelica, Bauhinia, Helicteres, etc. Such a change in the floristic composition suggests that warm and moist climate with increased precipitation prevailed in the region. Shorea robusta (sal) assumed dominance over other forest constituents around 1,050 yrs BP in response to prevalence on moister climate in the region.