Aerobiological implications of the extracted palynomorphs from the modern tree barks of the Korba District, Chhattisgarh, central India

ABSTRACT

The present communication deals with the extraction of palynomorphs, especially pollen grains and spores, from modern tree bark samples collected from the Korba District of Chhattisgarh State, central India. The principal aim of the study is to understand the aerobiological implications of the extracted and recovered palynomorphs in and around the area in question. Besides this, understanding the potential of the substrate in establishing the relationship between modern pollen rain and extant vegetation growing in and around the study area is another objective of the present study. Most of the samples are not very productive and yielded low numbers of palynomorphs, although aerobiologically, the study could be helpful in assessing the allergenicity of the recovered pollen/spores in the area of investigation, relevant to society. However, the substrate could not be used to clearly establish the modern pollen rain and vegetation relationship in the study area. Moreover, it may, in association with other natural pollen trapping substrates and/or various mechanical pollen traps/pollen samplers, be used in generating background information, but with a caveat, for palaeocological and palaeoclimatological studies.

KEYWORDS:

• palynomorphs
• modern tree barks
• allergenicity
• pollen rain-vegetation relationship
• Korba
• Chhattisgarh (central India)

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Prof. Sunil Bajpai, Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, India, for providing the infrastructure facilities to conduct the study, and also for permission to publish. Thanks are also due to the anonymous reviewer for their insightful comments on an earlier version of the MS, which have ultimately improved the quality of the research article. MFQ extends his sincere thanks to Dr James B. Riding, Managing Editor, Palynology, for encouragement. Dr S. Nawaz Ali, Scientist ‘C’, BSIP, is also thanked for very kindly creating Figure 1.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences [project component number 8.10]. The present research is an outcome of the Institute Project.

Notes on contributors

M. Firoze Quamar

M. FIROZE QUAMAR was awarded a BSc (Hons.) in botany from the RDS College (Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University – BRABU), Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, in 2000, and an MSc in botany from the University Department of Botany, BRABU, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in 2004 with 1st Position. He received his PhD (botany) in 2011 from the University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He worked as a Birbal Sahni Research Scholar (BSRS) and Birbal Sahni Research Associate (BSRA) at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow while carrying out research for his PhD, and thereafter. He joined BSIP as a Scientist ‘B’ in 2013 and is presently working as a Scientist ‘C’. His research interests mainly include the reconstruction of palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate in the central Indian core monsoon zone (CMZ) during the Late Quaternary using pollen as a proxy. He received the Dr B.S. Venkatachala Memorial Medal for his outstanding research work in palaeobotany among the young scientists of BSIP in 2014. He is also the recipient of the Paper of the Month (POTM) Award from BSIP in 2014; and prizes for Best Poster Presentation at NIT, Rourkela, Odisha, in 2013 and at BSIP in 2016. He was awarded the Dr Chunnilal Khatiyal Medal in 2016 in the category of Scientist ‘B’ at the BSIP. He has published 39 research papers (including four review articles) and seven meeting reports in peer-reviewed journals.

Samir K. Bera

SAMIR K. BERA was awarded a BSc in botany from the University of Calcutta in 1976, an MSc in botany from the University of Burdwan in 1978 and a PhD from the University of Lucknow in 1989. He was superannuated as a Scientist F from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, in 2015. His research interests include palaeoclimatology and using Quaternary pollen as a proxy. Samir has 32 years’ research experience, and has published 90 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He has visited Antarctica twice, and has supervised several research students.