The Ecological History of Sacred Groves in the Western Ghats, India

Sacred groves in the Western Ghats of India are small patches of forest protected by social tradition and religious taboo. What remains unclear, however, is whether they are an artefact of human management of the landscape or a relict of natural vegetation that was much more extensive in previous times. Using palaeoecological techniques this project aims to reconstruct the vegetation history of the sacred groves before, during and after human settlement; and provide the first detailed temporal study on the impact of cultivation in this cultural landscape.