Sprecher
Beschreibung
The Western Himalaya, with its unique biodiversity, complex topography and sensitivity to both South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM) and Western Disturbances (WDs), acts as a key region to decode past climatic and associated ecological changes. Here we present a high-resolution multi-proxy based vegetation and climate reconstruction, and human-environment interactions in the Western Himalaya since ~21.7 ka BP, using peat and sediment records from Sangla Kanda, Suptal Lake, and Bhojbasa Kame Terrace.
Modern pollen-vegetation relationships were established using surface samples, forming a baseline for interpreting fossil pollen data. Multiproxy analyses, including palynology, TOC%, stable carbon isotopes (δ¹³C) and microcharcoal combined with AMS radiocarbon dating, enabled detailed reconstruction of past environmental conditions. The records captured major climatic events such as the Last Glacial Maximum , Younger Dryas , Early Holocene warming , 8.2 ka event, 4.2 ka event, Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age.
Results indicate that vegetation responded sensitively to monsoon variability, with steppe taxa dominating during dry phases and arboreal expansion during moist intervals. High-altitude sites primarily reflect climatic forcing, whereas mid-elevation sites show stronger anthropogenic influence. Evidences of human activities are evident by the presence of Cerealia Poaceae, Cannabis, Rosaceae (Apple, Apricot) pollen and microcharcoal, particularly after ~5 ka BP with intensification during last 2 millennia.
The study demonstrates regionally coherent climatic events but varied in expression with altitude and local conditions. It highlights the combined role of monsoon variability, elevation, and human activity in altering the Himalayan ecosystems, providing critical insights for understanding future ecological scenario.