Palaeoenvironments in South India

Objectives

Climatic changes as well as increase of human pressure on the environment will strongly mould the future of landscape evolution in peninsular India. However, none of this is new: monsoon strength has been known to fluctuate since the last glacial maximum under the impact of insolation. Over the centuries, land cover has been seriously affected by human interference leading to a degradation of available resources. Hence we now have to look to the past to provide us with the "accumulated experiences" of these adaptations through a collection of proxy records (data) and models based on varying conceptual frameworks. The end objective is to use the information provided by the present and the past to validate model(s) designed to predict the evolution of our environment under different climatic and human impact scenarios.

Given the state of the art in South Asia, it has now become a matter of priority to focus on the following tasks:

• Identify a network of modern and fossil sites and document multi-proxy
• Identify sites for palaeo-reconstruction at distinct temporal scales - recent past (historical) and palaeo (Quaternary);
• To adapt existing "global" model(s) by downscaling using regional models and incorporating vegetation effects for validation with data.

Materials and Methods

The present research will focus on peninsular India with special emphasis on areas lacking in sufficient data on the eastern region. The primary tools used in this instance are: pollen and sedimentary sequences, climatic and remote sensing data, vegetation and climatic model simulations.

The materials used are : existing vegetation maps, facilities at the IFP for basic and applied quantitative palynology, fieldwork, applied information technology, library and recent satellite images of the area (NRSA).. Complementary requirements (radiometric dating, chronology, remote sensing and GIS….) will be solicited through collaborators.

The topography and climatic conditions of this region necessitate a method that combines different kinds of sites with a continuous sedimentary record : peat bogs, lakes, irrigation reservoirs and oceanic cores and/ or archeological sites with a stratigraphic sequence.

In the given context, the scientific queries raised may be addressed by pursuing multidisciplinary research as defined by the following three " sub projects ":

I. Modern pollen rain studies and palaeoecology (BIOME 6000, INDSUBIO, plant functional types, statistical methods for climate and vegetation inferences)

II. Natural and human-induced climatic and environmental changes in the past 1000-2000 years (PAGES focus 5, HITE-TERRAPIN (Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems - Tracking the Environmental Record in Reservoirs and Agro-ecosystems of Peninsular India)).

III. Pleistocene archaeology and palaeoenvironments in the Palar Valley, S. India.

IV Geological markers of paleo-ecological transformation (project completed)

Partners

Academic Institutions

• National Remote Sensing Agency, Forestry & Ecology Division NRSA_FED Hyderabad
• Indian Space Research organization’s Geosphere Biosphere Programme ISRO-GBP
• Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri
• CNRS-CEREGE, Centre Européen de Recherche et d’Enseignement de Géosciences de l’Environnement, l’Europôle Méditerranéen de l’Arbois BP 80 - 13545 AIX EN PROVENCE cedex 04
• PAGES- IGBP (PAst Global changES - a core project of the International Geospgere- Biosphere Program), Bern Switzerland
• Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Pune and Chennai
• Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University
• Department of Earth Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry
• Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai
• Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Studies, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Alwarkurichi, Tamil Nadu
• Department of Plant Sciences, Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for PG studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry
• Department of Botany, The American College, Madurai

Government Institutions

• Andhra Pradesh Forest Department
• Tamil Nadu Forest Department
• Orissa Forest Department

Funding

• French Institute of Pondicherry
• NRSA_FED, Hyderabad
• ISRO- GBP, Bangalore
• PAGES- IGBP, Bern Switzerland
• Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi

Team

Project leader

• Dr. Anupama, K., (IFP)

Research Fellows and Associates, (IFP)

• S. Aravajy, Research Assistant, (IFP)
• G. Jayapalan, Research Assistant, (IFP)
• G. Orukaimani, Research Assistant, (IFP)
• R. Ponnuchamy, Technical Assistant on contract - (September 2006 - December 2008), (IFP)
• S. Prasad, Pollen Analyst, (IFP)

Affiliated Researchers

• Dr. C.B.S. Dutt Deputy Programme Director, ISRO-GBP (ISRO, Geosphere Biosphere Program)
• G. Pujar, Scientist, (NRSA-FED, Hyderabad)
• Dr. Sudhakar, S., Scientist, (NRSA-FED, Hyderabad)
• Dr. J. V. Thomas, Scientist, EOS division , (ISRO, Bangalore)

Associated Researchers

• Dr. Kumar Akhilesh, (Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Pune and Chennai)
• Prof. S. Balakrishnan, Department of Earth Sciences, (Pondicherry University)
• Dr. Shonil Bhagwat, Oxford Long Term Ecology Laboratory (OXLEL) (Oxford University)
• Prof. P. Dayanandan, Emeritus Professor, (Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai)
• Dr. K. V. Deviprasad, Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, (Pondicherry University)
• Dr. Yanni Gunnell, (University of Paris 7, Paris, France)
• Dr. C. Livingstone, Head, Department of Botany, (Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai)
• Prof. Kathleen D. Morrison, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Center for International Studies, (University of Chicago, USA)
• Dr. Muthuramkumar, Department of Botany, (The American College, Madurai)
• Dr. D. Narasimhan, Senior Lecturer, (Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai)
• Dr. Shanti PAPPU, (Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, Pune and Chennai)
• Dr. N. Parthasarathy, Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, (Pondicherry University)
• Prof. Pragasam, A. Head, Department of Plant Sciences, Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for PG studies, (Pondicherry University)
• Presena, J. Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for PG studies, (Pondicherry University)
• Mr. K. Thulsi Rao, Head, Biodiversity Research Centre, (Project Tiger, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh)
• Dr. P. Ravichandran, Lecturer, Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Studies, (Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Alwarkurichi, Tamil Nadu)
• Mr. Selva Singh Richard, P. Lecturer (Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai.)
• Dr, Pramod Singh, Department of Earth Sciences, (Pondicherry University)
• Mr. Winfred Thomas, Department of Botany, (The American College, Madurai)
• Dr. V. Vedachalam, Tirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Madurai, (State Department of Archeology, Tamil Nadu)

PhD students/ PhD candidates

Download research abstracts (.pdf)

• Stephen. A, PhD candidate (2006-2008), (The Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai)

• Andrew M. Bauer, PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology, (University of Chicago, USA).

• Prayan Paramita Mahapatra, PhD Candidate,Department of Earth Sciences, (Pondicherry University)

Past Fellows and Students

• Mr. A. Aslam, (The American College Madurai) (2003-2005)
• Dr. Doris Barboni, Charge de Recherche, (CEREGE, France)
• Nathanel Coste, MA student (2004-2005), Department of Geography (University of Paris 1, Paris, France)
• Dr. Joel Guiot, Head Bioindicators lab, (CEREGE, France)
• Nicolas Ploumpidis, MA student (2004-2005), Department of Geography (University of Paris 1, Paris, France)
• Dr. C. N. Prabhu, PhD student, Department of Marine Geology, (Mangalore University), (2002-2004)
• Mr. L. Arul Pragasam, Department of Ecology, (Pondicherry University) (2004-2005)
• Presena, J. M. Phil student (2005-2006) Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post Graduate studies, (Pondicherry University)
• Prof. M. P. Ramanujam, Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for PG studies, (Pondicherry University)
• Camille Rognant, MA student (2004-2005), Department of Geography (University of Paris 1, Paris, France)
• Prof. R. Shankar, Professor in Marine Geology, (Mangalore University)
• Srivalli, N. M.C.A stuent (2005) Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Information Technology, (Pondicherry Engineering College)
• Dr. Maurice Taieb, emeritus scientist, (CEREGE, France)
• Tamilselvi, M. M.A. student (2005) Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post Graduate studies, (Pondicherry University)

Main Outputs

International seminars

International PAGES workshop and Training programme: Late Quaternary Environment Change: Emerging Issues (EILQUEC & POLTRAIN 2003, February 10th to 15th) hosted by the FIP in scientific cooperation with Anna University, Chennai.

National Seminars

Discussion Workshop on "Herbaceous taxa in south India: Ecology, Distribution and Applications in palaeovegetation studies", November 30th -December 1st 2006.

Books

• Late quaternary environment change: emerging issues. Proceedings of the International PAGES workshop and training program at the French Institute, Pondicherry, 10th–15th February 2003, and the common seminar at Anna University, Chennai, 8th February 2003.

Edited by Anupama K. & Hema Achyutan, 2003, 288 p. (PDE n°42)
Language: English. 400 Rs (14 €)

This edited volume of proceedings brings together a diversity of papers that presents a multitude of approaches and proxies used in understanding global climatic and environmental changes during the Quaternary period of the earth’s history, focusing on the most recent or “Late Quaternary”. Regionally, the focus is on the south Asian region with contributions from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand in addition to the majority from India. The volume is subdivided into 6 sections grouped thematically and comprises papers dealing with diverse themes such as Radiometric dating methods, Geological and Biological proxies, Model specific datasets and data specific models and applications of new technologies such as remote sensing to the study of palaeoenvironments.

Keywords: palaeoenvironment, multi-proxy studies, climate change

Selected Articles

• PRABHU C. N., SHANKAR, R., ANUPAMA K., TAIEB M., BONNEFILLE R., VIDAL S., & PRASAD S., 2004. A 200-ka pollen and oxygen-isotopic record from two sediment cores from the eastern Arabian Sea Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 214: 309- 321. Get the publication

• BARBONI D., BONNEFILLE R., PRASAD S., & RAMESH, B.R., 2003. Variation in modern pollen from tropical evergreen forests and the monsoon seasonality gradient in SW India Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 551-562 Get the publication

• GUNNELL Y., ANUPAMA K., 2003. Past and present status of runoff harvesting systems in dryland peninsular India: a critical review. Ambio 32 (4) 320-324. Get the publication

• ANUPAMA K., ARAVAJY S., & PRASAD S., 2002. Pollen and ecological studies in the Southern Eastern Ghats : a new methodological approach. Proceedings of National Seminar on Conservation of Eastern Ghats March 24-26 2002, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Pp: 88-102. Get the publication

Download the complete list of publications (pdf)