Sprecher
Beschreibung
Understanding long-term climate variability requires robust calibration between modern vegetation, pollen assemblages, and climatic parameters. This study integrates modern pollen–vegetation relationships and a Mid-Late Holocene fossil pollen record from the Renukaji Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in the northwestern Himalaya, India, to establish a framework for quantitative palaeoclimate reconstruction.
Modern pollen rain was investigated using 30 surface soil and moss samples collected across distinct ecological zones of the RWS. The pollen data were evaluated against contemporary vegetation patterns derived from Land Use Land Cover (LULC) analysis, enabling assessment of pollen representation, dispersal characteristics, and vegetation–pollen relationships within Sal (Shorea robusta) dominated subtropical forests.
The modern calibration dataset is integrated with a radiocarbon-dated fossil pollen sequence from Renuka Lake spanning the Mid-Holocene to the present. Fossil pollen assemblages reveal substantial shifts in vegetation composition, reflecting alternating warm–humid and cold–dry phases associated with variations in Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) strength. Enhanced monsoon conditions during the Mid-Holocene supported the expansion of Sal-mixed deciduous forests, whereas subsequent intervals witnessed increased representation of highland conifers, indicating relatively cooler and drier climatic conditions. These interpretations are independently supported by Earth System Palaeoclimate Simulation (ESPS) outputs.
By combining modern and fossil pollen datasets, this study provides a robust basis for the quantification of past climatic variability and associated vegetation responses. The integrated modern and fossil pollen datasets provide a robust framework for quantitative palaeoclimate reconstruction, enabling a refined assessment of past climate variability, vegetation dynamics, and ISM fluctuations in the northwestern Himalayan foothills.