The journal features extensive palaeoclimatic research using pollen analysis (palynology) of lake sediments, revealing vegetation dynamics and monsoon variability during the Quaternary period. These studies are critical for understanding the environmental context of human settlement and agricultural origins in the Indian subcontinent.

Key Studies

Karela Jheel, Lucknow (VOL-2-01)

A 2.6 m sediment profile from this oxbow lake (abandoned channel of the Sai River) provided pollen evidence of vegetation and climate change spanning the Late Quaternary. Four radiocarbon dates established a chronology from ~10,297 cal yr BP to 1,935 cal yr BP. The adjacent Hulaskhera archaeological mound revealed cultural succession from Black Slipped Ware and PGW to NBPW, Sunga-Kushana, Gupta, and Rajput periods (1000 BCE to 1000 CE).

Central Ganga Plain Lakes (VOL-3-02)

A comprehensive review of nine lake deposits (Jalesar, Karela, Lahuradewa, Meander, Basaha, Misa Tal, Kathauta Tal, Ropan-chhapra Tal, Sanai Tal) demonstrated vegetation shifts and lake-level changes in response to climatic variability since the Late Pleistocene. The record shows the onset of agrarian activity during the Neolithic-Chalcolithic period.

Himalayan Palynology — 75,000 Years (VOL-5-03)

Palynological studies from the Outer, Lesser, and Higher Himalaya document forest succession in response to climatic fluctuations. Key findings include:

  • Pine-oak forest dynamics in Garhwal and Jammu over the last 9,000-12,000 years
  • Evidence of the Holocene Climatic Optimum between 7,000-5,000 yr BP
  • Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age signatures in Himalayan pollen records
  • Glacial retreat and advance patterns from Gangotri and Dokriani glaciers

Coastal Vegetation since 140 ka (VOL-3-03)

Palynological studies from the west coast (Kerala) and southeast coast (Krishna-Godavari deltas, Pulicat, Pichavaram) revealed:

  • Rainforest vegetation during MIS-5a (~80 ka) comparable to present-day Western Ghats
  • Savanna grassland dominance during the Last Glacial Maximum (~20 ka)
  • Holocene re-establishment of rainforest between 7,000-4,000 yr BP
  • Evidence of sea-level high stands and their impact on coastal vegetation

Methodological Contributions

The journal also publishes foundational palynological research including pollen morphology studies of plant families (Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoideae, Papilionoideae) (VOL-7-02), which aid in the identification of fossil pollen in Quaternary sediments.