Trees and Woodlands of South India : Archaeological Perspectives

Contents: Acknowledgements. 1. Producing South Indian landscapes: the intersection of climate, landforms, economies, and environmental history. 2. Indian forest ecology and the politics of landscape management. 3. Background to vegetation history: climate, geology, and cultural history. 4. South Indian woodland vegetation: its composition, structure, and dynamics. 5. An abridged environmental history of South India. 6. Autecology and ethnobotany of South Indian trees and shrubs. 7. Wood identification and Charcoal analysis: a contribution to the study of ancient vegetation and past economies in South India. 8. Wood identification key and anatomical characters. 9. Wood anatomical descriptions. Bibliography. List of plant species with details on botanical authorities. Taxonomic index. Index.

"This volume introduces the ecological history of woodland vegetation in South India. It incorporates a critical overview of the theories of ecology on the subcontinent while detailing the history of long term changes in the tree and shrub vegetation of the Indian peninsula that have resulted from climate change and the impact of human activities on the landscape. The volume also demonstrates the potential of microscopic analysis of archaeological wood charcoal remains for the purpose of palaeo-environmental reconstruction. Included in the volume is a practical guide for the microscopic identification of the principal timber species of South India, accompanied by detailed information on the synecology and autecology of native trees and shrubs, and ethnographic evidence on their diverse uses and properties."