1991-92 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

1991-92the tree-dominated autochthonous mangrove-mixed angiospermous vegetationgrowing under moderately per-humid tropical climate. The vegetal accumulationtook place in a rheotrophic peat-swamp on. a lower delta plain in a near-shorelagoon. The affect of anaerobic 'degradation under alkaline mileau was morepronounced and resulted in pyrite-rich perhydrous coals by the inOuence of putrefactioninstead of normal humification. Anaerobic alkaline conditions facilitatingsevere biodegradation of organic mailer were not only responsible for the formationof fine-grained authigenic partings within the seams as well as roof and Ooorof the seams but also for the termination of the coal seams.B.K.MisraPROJECT 7Programme 7.1,RECONSTRUCTION OF QUATERNARYVEGETATIONAL PATTERNS, History of vegetation and climate in tropicalmontane forests in south IndiaObjective ,To build up a complete palynofloral succession ofthe Shola forest / grassland in Annamalai Hills,Palni Hills and Silent ValleyTen surface samples from Bombay Shola, Palni Hills were pollen analysed andrevealed high yield of pollen/spores. The common feature of this study is that thesamples collected within the forested zone have recorded higher frequencies forarboreal taxa which decline proportionately in the samples investigated fromoutskirt and away from the forest.1\venty five profile samples from Bombay Shola were pollen analysed andrecorded preponderance of non-arboreals which is almost matching with compositionof the surface samples. Allhough shola trees are inadequately present butImpatiens, a close associate of shala woods, is regularly present in the samples whichsignifies tile existence of silola woods.H.P. Gupta and S.K. BeraPollen morphology of 27 modern trees from Silent Valley has been completedunder LM.H.A.KhanProgramme7.2 : Depositional environment andthe Quaternary Period in thepalynological approachclimate duringHimalaya : AObjective,To build up a fine resolution climatic sequence ofQuaternary Period in tile Himalayan regionPollen analysed 8 samples from 2 meter deep profile (GT-l) from Gola Thppar,Dehradun. The study has revealed the occurrence of Holoptelea, Bauilinia,Murraya, Ficus, Mallotus and Meliaceae. Strobilantiles, Fabaceae and Urticaceaeare scanly. The ground vegetation is composed of grasses, sedges, Chen~/Ams,Brassicaceae, Artemisia, etc. Besides, fungal spores of Alternaria, Curvularia,41