24/04/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Lectures on the Environmental Past of Kerala'.
๐ฟ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ fifth ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฟ
We are proud to invite you to the fifth session:
Lecture 5
๐ Topic: Flora as Archives: Reconstructing the Biogeographical Evolution, Vegetation History, and Endemism of Keralaโs Western Ghats
Speaker: Dr. P.V. Karunakaran,
Director, Indian Regional Association for Landscape Ecology (IRALE); Senior Scientist (Retd.), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
๐ Date: Monday, 27 April, 2026
โฐ Time: 3.30 pm
๐ Venue: Forest Central Library, Kerala Forest Headquarters, Vazhuthakkad, Thiruvananthapuram
๐ Join us Online:
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96971821254
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KCHR_Archives
Overview:
How do plants archive the deep-time shifts of our planet? This lecture explores the botanical history of Kerala, framing its unique vegetation as a living record of environmental change. Dr. P.V. Karunakaran will examine the vegetational relicts in the Western Ghats such as the Shola-grassland complexesโas critical refugia that sheltered ancient flora during global climatic upheavals.
Drawing on various sources, including the biogeographic affinities of the flora of the region, palynological footprints, and the stratigraphic research, the talk will map the expansion and contraction of forest types over millennia. By focusing on relict and endemic species, such as the iconic palm Bentinckia condapanna, the session will cast light on the intricate biogeographical evolution of the region.
Jointly Organised By:
Kerala Forest Department | Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) | Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation (PTCF) | School of Social Sciences, MGU | KSCSTE-KFRI
You are cordially invited to join us for the event
Previous lectures in the series can be watched by visiting the links below:
Lecture-1- Thinking Premodern Environmental History of Kerala: An approach, Prof. Rajan Gurukkal.
https://www.youtube.com/live/ehSRDuofgvY?si=oIi6gt0u-eRbUwgQ
Lecture-2- The Western Ghats in History, Prof.K.N.Ganesh.
https://www.youtube.com/live/ZFDig3UfFGE?si=VcZQohQe5TU1t0G4
Lecture -3- Animals in Human Worlds: Zooarchaeological Insights into the Past Environments of Peninsular India, Dr. G.S. Abhayan.
https://youtu.be/_gXObmhQabU?si=fpDvfg_xmlm3VTVU
Lecture -4- Fishes as Witnesses: Reconstructing the Bio-geographical Evolution of Peninsular India, Dr. C.P. Shaji. https://www.youtube.com/live/uFMyO2OXoRI?si=CSi24Ct6msFm2G5E