VEGETATIONAL HISTORY OF CHAMBAL RAVINES

The paper deals with the study of the pollen found in the soil at various depths in Chambal ravines. The observations reveal that from the depth of 20 cm to 240 cm there are three stratum of various pollen. The first stratum extends down to 100 cm and is dominated by the pollen of shrubby taxon. The second stratum is enriched with the pollen of grasses and shrubs. The lowest stratum is lodged between 160 cm to 240 cm depth and consists the pollen of trees and shrubs. The discussion exhibits that there has been a major change in the vegetation from a flourishing tree forest to the present shrubs through grasslands as evidenced by the presence of grass pollen in the middle strata. The civilisation had also played a role for this change.