Papers by Charuta Kulkarni
Journal of Environmental Management, 2021
Identifying the impacts of anthropogenic fires on biodiversity is imperative for human-influenced... more Identifying the impacts of anthropogenic fires on biodiversity is imperative for human-influenced tropical rainforests because: i) these ecosystems have been transformed by human-induced fires for millennia; and ii) their effective management is essential for protecting the world's terrestrial biodiversity in the face of global environmental change. While several short-term studies elucidate the impacts of fires on local plant diversity, how plant diversity responds to fire regimes over long timescales (>100 years) is a significant knowledge gap, posing substantial impediment to evidence-based management of tropical social-ecological systems. Using wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India as a model system, we discuss the synergistic effects of anthropogenic fires and enhanced aridity on tropical plant diversity over the past 4000 years by examining fossil pollen-based diversity indices (e.g., pollen richness and evenness, and temporal β-diversity), past fire management, the intervals of enhanced aridity due to reduced monsoon rainfall and land use history. By developing a historical perspective, our aim is to provide region-specific management information for biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats. We observe that the agroforestry landscape switches between periods of no fires (4000-1800 yr BP, and 1400-400 yr BP) and fires (1800-1400 yr BP, and 400-0 yr BP), with both fire periods concomitant with intervals of enhanced aridity. We find synergistic impacts of anthropogenic fires and aridity on plant diversity uneven across time, pointing towards varied land management strategies implemented by the contemporary societies. For example, during 1800–1400 yr BP, diversity reduced in conjunction with a significant decrease in the canopy cover related to sustained use of fires, possibly linked to large-scale intensification of agriculture. On the contrary, the substantially reduced fires during 400–0 yr BP may be associated with the emergence of sacred forest groves, a cultural practice supporting the maintenance of plant diversity. Overall, notwithstanding apparent changes in fires, aridity, and land use over the past 4000 years, present-day plant diversity in the Western Ghats agroforestry landscape falls within the range of historical variability. Importantly, we find a strong correlation between plant diversity and canopy cover, emphasising the crucial role of maintenance of trees in the landscape for biodiversity conservation. Systematic tree management in tropical social-ecological systems is vital for livelihoods of billions of people, who depend on forested landscapes. In this context, we argue that agroforestry landscapes can deliver win-win solutions for biodiversity as well as people in the Western Ghats and wet tropics at large.
Quaternary International, 2018
This paper presents a 600-year well-dated, high-resolution Central Balkan paleo-record including ... more This paper presents a 600-year well-dated, high-resolution Central Balkan paleo-record including the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1450–1850 CE). Utilizing pollen-based REVEALS modeling estimates, geochemical indicators, rarefaction analyses and the AMS 14C-based Bacon age model, this first-hand record from the Sava Basin reveals the transformation of the Central Balkan landscape involving linkages between changing climatic and socio-political regimes. The pre-LIA interval (1370–1418 CE) in the Sava Region reveals a wooded steppe and increased cultivation
under warmer/stable climatic and socio-political conditions. In contrast, the LIA interval in the region is expressed through continuous transitions between forest and grassland, extensive land erosion and stressed
agriculture, potentially as a collective artifact of the climatic variability and human impact associated with socio-political stressors of the time. The post-LIA/Industrial Era interval (1850–2012 CE) in the Sava Region
shows an overall increase in woodland as well as agriculture following the exit of the Ottomans. However, increased population pressures and the subsequent onset of the Industrial Revolution as well as increased trade led to intense deforestation throughout the 20th century, which continued during the Socialist period.
Water availability is fundamental to societies and ecosystems, but our understanding of variation... more Water availability is fundamental to societies and ecosystems, but our understanding of variations in hydroclimate (including extreme events, flooding, and decadal periods of drought) is limited because of a paucity of modern instrumental observations that are distributed unevenly across the globe and only span parts of the 20th and 21st centuries. Such data coverage is insufficient for characterizing hydroclimate and its associated dynamics because of its multidecadal-to-centennial variability and highly regionalized spatial signature. High-resolution (seasonal to decadal) hydroclimatic proxies that span all or parts of the Common Era (CE) and paleoclimate model simulations are therefore important tools for augmenting our understanding of hydroclimate variability. In particular, the comparison of the two sources of information is critical for addressing the uncertainties and limitations of both, while enriching each of their interpretations. We review the principal proxy data available for hydroclimatic reconstructions over the CE and highlight contemporary understanding of how these proxies are interpreted as hydroclimate indicators. We also review the available last-millennium simulations from fully-coupled climate models and discuss several outstanding challenges associated with simulating hydroclimate variability and change over the CE. A specific review of simulated hydroclimatic changes forced by volcanic events is provided, as well as a discussion of expected improvements in estimated forcings, models and their implementation in the future. Our review of hydroclimatic proxies and last-millennium model simulations is used as the basis for articulating a variety of considerations and best practices for how to perform proxy-model comparisons of CE hydroclimate. This discussion provides a framework for how best to evaluate hydroclimate variability and its associated dynamics using these comparisons, as well as how they can better inform interpretations of both proxy data and model simulations. We subsequently explore means of using proxy-model comparisons to better constrain and characterize future hydroclimate risks. This is explored specifically in the context of several examples that demonstrate how proxy-model comparisons can be used to quantitatively constrain future hydroclimatic risks as estimated from climate model projections.
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2016
We present the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from ... more We present the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia, which spans the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.
Man and Environment, Jan 1, 2009
Recent geoarchaeological studies of 20 m thick colluvial-alluvial deposits in the Krishna Valley ... more Recent geoarchaeological studies of 20 m thick colluvial-alluvial deposits in the Krishna Valley around Wai, District Satara, Maharashtra, showed that the antiquity of these deposits probably belong to the Middle Pleistocene. This inference is based on discovery of an in situ large Acheulian flake on basalt in laterite-rich pebbly-cobbly gravel at Pachwad. Several geomorphological features of the landscape are misfit in the present geomorphic setting, and are the result of Quaternary tectonics and climatic change.
Conference Papers by Charuta Kulkarni
The Little Ice Age and its spatial variability across the Balkans
American Geophysical Union 2015 Fall Meeting, Dec 16, 2015
Using biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals through X-ray fluore... more Using biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals through X-ray fluorescence, and AMS 14C based chronology, we present a correlation between two new high resolution Little Ice Age (LIA) records from the Central Balkans that are part of one of the least studied regions of Europe. The sediments extracted from a western sinkhole and central Serbian oxbow lake are analyzed at 8-10-cm intervals to capture the nature and magnitude of the LIA at a resolution of 20 years. During the 15th-19th CE, indigenous tree (e.g. Quercus, Acer, Pinus) and herbaceous (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia) pollen from these records demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics. While tree populations from Central Serbia remain comparatively stable (40-60%), the trees of western Serbia vacillate drastically between 15% and 50%. Similarly, central Serbian grasses show variations of ~18-36% whereas the western Serbian grass populations exhibit abrupt oscillations between high (55%) and low (19%) percentages. As a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes, the 1-cm resolution potassium and titanium counts are in strong agreement with varying herbaceous taxa. These variations in ecological signals across the cores can account for local factors including altitude, terrain exposure, soils etc., however, the dynamic human component of the landscape is evident through crop pollen (e.g. Cerealia, Juglans) and microscopic charcoal highlighting the dominant role of people in ecological changes. Although the two sites show certain differences in charcoal concentration, extremely high charcoal indicates accelerated land clearance between the 15th and 17th CE. Until the beginning of 18th CE, the cultivars (e.g. Secale, Triticum) occur with very low percentages and then peak to suggest improved agriculture in the region. In the post-LIA era, the 20th CE exhibits increased arboreal percentages and declining grasslands in both the two Central Balkan records.
An Examination of Long-Term Environmental-Social Dynamics in the Balkans
This study examines the interactions of environmental and social dynamics in Central Balkans over... more This study examines the interactions of environmental and social dynamics in Central Balkans over the past millennium, a period that experienced three major climatic phases (Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age, and the warm 20th century). Meanwhile, the same period witnessed a complex human history with the emergence-rise-decline of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent socio-political events (e.g. wars, famines, migrations). Environmental datasets for the analysis include biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals through X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating of two western and central Serbian lakes while social datasets include historic population data, land use, settlement patterns, and critical historic events derived from a review of the literature and local archives. Among the environmental datasets, indigenous tree and herbaceous pollen from these Central Balkans records demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics whereas potassium and titanium counts obtained through XRF act as a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes. Microscopic charcoal, cereal pollen and subordinate anthropogenic pollen (e.g. cultivated fruits and vegetables) are used to distinguish strong human impact over the landscape. These key anthropogenic indicators create a more thorough social component of the analysis in association with the social datasets. After reconstructing the individual time series for each environmental and social dataset, the two Central Balkan records are correlated in order to identify the environmental and social homogeneity and heterogeneity patterns occurring at shorter and longer timescales during the period. Results provide insights on how a region responds to social and environmental stressors and our approach demonstrates ways to integrate natural and social science system research.
Identifying and Interpreting the Imprint of the Little Ice Age over the Balkan Landscape: A Combined Palynological and Geochemical Approach
We examine a multi-centennial Balkan record of vegetation and landscape during the Little Ice Age... more We examine a multi-centennial Balkan record of vegetation and landscape during the Little Ice Age (LIA) climatic transition that lasted from c. 15th to the 19th century AD. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis (X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)), and a robust chronology based on AMS 14C dating are used to reconstruct the vegetation response and human-environmental interactions during the LIA. A sediment core extracted from a sinkhole lake located in western Serbia (44°30’N-19°30’E; elevation 250 m a.s.l.) was sampled at 10-cm intervals for investigating biological proxies. Palynological data include temperate indigenous trees (e.g. Quercus, Betula), herbaceous taxa (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae), and key anthropogenic indicators (e.g. Juglans, cereals) and demonstrate wet and cool conditions as well as seasonal variations during cal. 16th to 19th century AD. The XRF data obtained from the core at 1-cm intervals show changes in the clastic input and surface erosion around the lake probably owing to seasonal variations during the LIA. Moreover, pollen and charcoal data together reveal the changing nature of human interference across the LIA from intense deforestation to reforestation and sustained cultivation with climatic and seasonal variations. Correlating palaeoecological and geochemical data for this region allows us to interpret the long-term dynamics of landscape and humans across one of the important climatic intervals in Europe. The Balkans, as one of Europe’s “Biodiversity Hotspots” and a rapidly changing region, provides insights into possible biotic responses to future global climatic change.
Exploring the Long-Term Dynamics among Holocene Climate, Landscape and Humans from Western Serbia, Central Balkans
The Balkans are considered a “European biodiversity hotspot” as the region has outstanding levels... more The Balkans are considered a “European biodiversity hotspot” as the region has outstanding levels of floral and faunal endemism and provided a refugium for many species during the past Ice Ages. Moreover, there is a long history of human presence; the location of the Balkans at the crossroads of three major continents provides an excellent geographic setting for occupation and migration. Given the geological, environmental, and social framework of the area, we explore the impacts of climate and human activities on the Holocene landscape in western Serbia, Central Balkans. The study emphasizes the Bronze Age (ca. 4200-3000 yr BP), a period of significant technological and agricultural change that greatly modified the landscape and environment in Europe. A 2.1-m sediment core was extracted from a sinkhole lake near Donja Sipulja (44°30’N-19°30’E; elevation 250 m a.s.l.). The core was sampled at 10-cm intervals and standardized chemical techniques were used to isolate the pollen and spores for microscopic identification and statistical analysis. Results from this study demonstrate distinctive pollen assemblages from temperate indigenous trees (e.g. Quercus, Betula) and herbaceous taxa (e.g. Chenopodiceae, Artemisia) along with key anthropogenic indicator species (e.g. Juglans, Cornus) from the Balkans. AMS 14C dates of the macrofossil remains provide the timeframe of ecological changes and human-environmental interactions during the Holocene. We compare our results with palaeoclimate records from other parts of the Balkans and place this Balkan paleorecord in a larger perspective. These ecological datasets will be eventually linked with social datasets, mainly archaeobotanical remains from the Bronze Age sites from the region. Temporal and spatial correlation of all socio-ecological indicators will assess and model long-term societal and environmental resilience for the Central Balkans.
Book Chapters by Charuta Kulkarni
Ⱥɩɫɬɪɚɤɬ Ʉɚɥɚʁ 6Q ɤɚɨ ɤʂɭɱɧɢ ɦɟɬɚɥ ɡɚ ɩɪɨɢɡɜɨɞʃɭ ɛɪɨɧɡɟ ɬɪɟɧɭɬɧɨ ɩɪɟɞɫɬɚɜʂɚ ʁɟɞɧɨ ɨɞ ɜɚɠɧɢɯ ɩɢɬɚʃ... more Ⱥɩɫɬɪɚɤɬ Ʉɚɥɚʁ 6Q ɤɚɨ ɤʂɭɱɧɢ ɦɟɬɚɥ ɡɚ ɩɪɨɢɡɜɨɞʃɭ ɛɪɨɧɡɟ ɬɪɟɧɭɬɧɨ ɩɪɟɞɫɬɚɜʂɚ ʁɟɞɧɨ ɨɞ ɜɚɠɧɢɯ ɩɢɬɚʃɚ ɭ ɩɪɨɛɥɟɦɚɬɢɰɢ ɛɪɨɧɡɚɧɨɝ ɞɨɛɚ Ʉɚɥɚʁ ʁɟ ɪɟɞɚɤ ɦɟɬɚɥ ɚ ʃɟɝɨɜɢ ɢɡɜɨɪɢ ɢ ɞɚʂɟ ɫɭ ɧɟɭɯɜɚɬʂɢɜɢ ɤɚɤɨ ɡɚ ɚɪɯɟɨɥɨɝɟ ɬɚɤɨ ɢ ɡɚ ɝɟɨɥɨɝɟ Ɂɚɯɜɚʂɭʁɭʄɢ ɫɜɨʁɨʁ ɪɟɬɤɨɫɬɢ ɢ ɧɟɨɩɯɨɞɧɨɫɬɢ ɡɚ ɢɡɪɚɞɭ ɛɪɨɧɡɟ ɥɟɝɭɪɚ ɛɚɤɪɚ ɢ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɤɚɥɚʁ ɦɨɠɟ ɛɢɬɢ ɤʂɭɱɧɢ ɩɨɤɚɡɚɬɟʂ ɭ ɪɚɡɭɦɟɜɚʃɭ ɩɪɚɢɫɬɨɪɢʁɫɤɟ ɬɪɝɨɜɢɧɟ ɢ ɤɨɧɬɚɤɚɬɚ ɢɡɦɟɻɭ ɤɭɥɬɭɪɚ ɇɚ ɨɫɧɨɜɭ ɪɚɞɨɜɚ Ⱥ Ⱦɭɪ ɦɚɧɚ ɦɨɠɟɦɨ ɩɪɟɬɩɨɫɬɚɜɢɬɢ ɞɚ ʁɟ ɛɚɪɟɦ ʁɟɞɚɧ ɞɟɨ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɤɨʁɢ ʁɟ ɭɩɨɬɪɟɛʂɚɜɚɧ ɭ ɛɪɨɧɡɚɧɨɦ ɞɨɛɭ ȿɝɟʁɟ ɢ ɨɤɨɥɧɢɦ ɬɟɪɢɬɨɪɢʁɚɦɚ ɞɨɛɢʁɚɧ ɭ ɡɚɩɚɞɧɨʁ ɋɪɛɢʁɢ ɧɚʁɛɥɢɠɟɦ ɢɡɜɨɪɭ ɞɚɧɚɲʃɨʁ Ƚɪɱɤɨʁ ɇɚ ɨɫɧɨɜɭ ɝɟɨɚɪɯɟɨɥɨɲɤɨɝ ɩɪɨʁɟɤɬɚ ȳɚɞɚɪ ɡɚɩɨɱɟɬɨɝ ɝɨɞɢɧɟ ɩɪɟɬɩɨɫɬɚɜʂɚɦɨ ɞɚ ʁɟ ɩɪɨɢɡɜɨɞʃɚ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɬɨɤɨɦ ɧɟɤɨɥɢɤɨ ɜɟɤɨɜɚ ɩɨɞɢɝɥɚ ɡɧɚɱɚʁ ɨɜɟ ɨɛɥɚɫɬɢ ɭ ɲɢɪɢɦ ɬɪɝɨɜɚɱ ɤɢɦ ɬɨɤɨɜɢɦɚ Ʉɚɤɨ ɛɢ ɫɟ ɢɫɬɪɚɠɢɥɚ ɜɟɡɚ ɢɡɦɟɻɭ ɢɡɜɨɪɢɲɬɚ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɢ ɚɪɯɟɨɥɨɲɤɢɯ ɥɨɤɚɥɢɬɟ ɬɚ ɩɪɜɚ ɮɚɡɚ ɩɪɨʁɟɤɬɚ ɭɫɦɟɪɟɧɚ ʁɟ ɧɚ ɫɚɤɭɩʂɚʃɟ ɩɨɞɚɬɚɤɚ ɜɟɡɚɧɢɯ ɡɚ ɦɟɬɥɭɪɲɤɟ ɩɪɨɰɟɫɟ ɂɫɬɪɚɠɢɜɚʃɚ ɫɩɪɨɜɟɞɟɧɚ ɬɨɤɨɦ ɢ ɝɨɞɢɧɟ ɭɫɩɟɥɚ ɫɭ ɞɚ ɭɬɜɪɞɟ ɢ ɢɡɜɨɪɢɲɬɚ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɢ ɥɨɤɚɥɢɬɟɬɟ ɢɡ ɛɪɨɧɡɚɧɨɝ ɞɨɛɚ .ʂɭɱɧɟ ɪɟɱɢ ɡɚɩɚɞɧɚ ɋɪɛɢʁɚ ȳɚɞɚɪ ɚɪɯɟɨɥɨɝɢʁɚ ɢɫɬɪɚɠɢɜɚʃɚ ɤɚɥɚʁ ɛɪɨɧɡɚ ɛɪɨɧɡɚɧɨ ɞɨɛɚ )LJ 7LQ VRXUFHV LQ WKH $HJHDQ DUHD ɋɥ ɂɡɜɨɪɢɲɬɚ ɤɚɥɚʁɚ ɭ ɨɛɥɚɫɬɢ ȿɝɟʁɟ DIWHUɩɪɟɦɚ 0F*HHKDQ/LULW]LV DQG 7D\ORU
ȾɍȽɈɊɈɑɇȺ ɋɈɐɂɈȿɄɈɅɈɒɄȺ ɂɋɌɊȺɀɂȼȺȵȺ ɍ ɁȺɉȺȾɇɈȳ ɋɊȻɂȳɂ ɉɈɌɊȿȻȺ ɁȺ ɉȺɅȿɈɄɅɂɆȺɌɋɄɂɆ ɉɈȾȺɐɂɆȺ ɂ ɊȺɁɇɈ... more ȾɍȽɈɊɈɑɇȺ ɋɈɐɂɈȿɄɈɅɈɒɄȺ ɂɋɌɊȺɀɂȼȺȵȺ ɍ ɁȺɉȺȾɇɈȳ ɋɊȻɂȳɂ ɉɈɌɊȿȻȺ ɁȺ ɉȺɅȿɈɄɅɂɆȺɌɋɄɂɆ ɉɈȾȺɐɂɆȺ ɂ ɊȺɁɇɈȼɊɋɇɈȳ ɂɇɌȿȽɊȺɐɂȳɂ ɉɈȾȺɌȺɄȺ 5HEHFFD %RJHU %URRNO\Q &ROOHJH &81< &KDUXWD .XONDUQL %URRNO\Q &ROOHJH &81< $UWKXU %DQNRII %URRNO\Q
Books by Charuta Kulkarni
by Vojislav Filipovic, Srpsko Arheološko Društvo, Charuta Kulkarni, Boban Tripkovic, Dejan Bulic, Radivoje Arsic, aleksandar bulatovic, Dušan S Rašković, Vladimir Pecikoza, Antonija Ropkic, Gordana Jeremic, Bojana Plemić, Adam Crnobrnja, H Arthur Bankoff, Neda Mirković-Marić, and Wayne Powell
Theses by Charuta Kulkarni
Late Quaternary Geoarchaeological investigations in and around Wai, District Satara, Maharashtra
Lessons from the Past: Unfolding the Dynamics among Climate, Balkan Landscapes and Humans over the Past Millennium
The primary objective of this doctoral dissertation is to reconstruct the environmental history o... more The primary objective of this doctoral dissertation is to reconstruct the environmental history of the Central Balkans (Serbia) over the past millennium utilizing biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals through X-ray fluorescence (XRF), statistical analyses, and atomic mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C chronology. This dissertation establishes the first chronological framework for vegetation-landscape changes in Serbia and discusses the role of humans and climate as underlying processes.
Chapter 1 discusses the background and the nature of the research problem followed by the extensive literature review on the topic of the Holocene climate and paleoecology. The state of Holocene paleoecology in Europe and in the Balkan region are discussed with an emphasis on the last millennium. The Chapter also includes a summary of key socio-ecological studies across Europe and the techniques used to reveal the long-term human-environmental interactions across the Holocene and the Common Era (past 2000 years). The chapter concludes with the significance of the current study.
Chapter 2 presents the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia over the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through XRF, and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA; c.1500-1850 CE). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post-LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.
Chapter 3 describes a well-dated, high-resolution Central Balkan record of vegetation and landscape change over the past 700 years from the Sava Region, Serbia. This timespan includes the LIA (1500-1850 CE) with several centuries before and after this important interval for comparison. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from the Sava basin sediments delimit the evolution of the Serbian landscape across a warm-stable pre-LIA interval with relatively high tree percentages, modest occurrence of anthropogenic taxa, and relatively stable agriculture supported by grazing. On the contrary, the LIA interval in the region is expressed through opening and closing of the tree canopies and extensive land erosion, perhaps in response to climatic deterioration and human impact largely associated with socio-political changes of the time. The post-LIA interval shows stabilized woodland in the riparian region, establishment of arable lands nearby lakes and selective forest clearance strategies by humans in the wake of the industrial revolution. Establishing correlation with existing Serbian environmental datasets, this record reveals the transformation of the Central Balkan landscape and its apparent linkages with changing climatic and socio-political regimes.
Chapter 3 also includes a regional comparison between the Sava core and western Serbian lake to capture the nature and impact of the LIA climatic condition and contemporary human societies on the Central Balkan landscapes. During the 15th-19th CE, indigenous tree (e.g. Quercus, Acer, Pinus) and herbaceous (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia) pollen from these records demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics. While tree populations from the Sava region slowly fluctuate between 50 and 70%, the trees of western Serbia vacillate drastically between 30% and 55%. On the other hand, the Sava region grasslands show variations of ~20-43% whereas the western Serbian grass populations exhibit abrupt oscillations between high (59%) and low (32%) percentages. As a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes, the 1-cm resolution potassium and titanium counts are in strong agreement with varying herbaceous taxa. While temporal asynchroneity in the AP and NAP signals between the two cores could be attributed to local factors including differing altitude, terrain exposure, and soils that are inherently different on either sides of the Sava channel, continuous oscillations of both communities during the LIA are analogous. This overall pattern indicates that the Central Balkan landscape at-large was going through considerable environmental change throughout the LIA in the form of opening and closing of the tree canopies on both sides of the Sava Basin. High charcoal indicates accelerated land clearance between the 15th and 17th CE, however, towards the beginning of 18th CE, the cultivars (e.g. Secale, Triticum) peak to suggest improved agriculture in the region. Correlation with the available Serbian environmental records across the LIA reveals the regional dynamics between woodland and grassland under the influence of an unstable and perhaps drier LIA climatic regime (especially in the early LIA) and reforestation of the region during the latter part of the LIA due to both climatic and socio-political reasons. This correlation enhances our understanding of the nature and spatial variability of the LIA across the Balkans and its interactions with the contemporary societies.
Chapter 4 examines the interactions of environmental and social dynamics in Central Balkans over the past 700 years, a period that experienced the LIA climatic condition and the warm 20th century. Meanwhile, the same period witnessed a complex human history with the emergence-rise-decline of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent socio-political events (e.g. wars, famines, migrations, epidemics). Environmental datasets for this socio-environmental analysis include biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals, and a detailed AMS 14C based chronology of two Central Balkan lakes while social datasets include historic population data, land use, records of societal calamities, and critical historic events derived from a review of the literature and local archives. Among the environmental datasets, indigenous tree and herbaceous pollen from the Central Balkans demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics whereas potassium counts obtained through XRF act as a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes. Microscopic charcoal, cereal pollen and subordinate anthropogenic pollen (e.g. cultivated fruits and vegetables) are used to distinguish the nature of human impact over the landscape. These key anthropogenic indicators create a more thorough social component of the analysis in association with other social datasets. After reconstructing the individual time series for each environmental and social dataset and their synthesis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the two Central Balkan records are correlated in order to visualize how a region responds to social and environmental stressors. Our approach demonstrates ways to integrate natural and social science systems research.
The dissertation entitled 'Hydrogeological study of a part of Dharampur Tehsil, Valsad district, ... more The dissertation entitled 'Hydrogeological study of a part of Dharampur Tehsil, Valsad district, Gujrat' is part of "Landscape Development Project" carried out by Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) in affiliation with DHRUVA-BAIF under Ford Foundation, India. This study is based on the tribal hinterlands of the Dangs district of Gujarat and involved detailed geological mapping of the watersheds in the area. Structural features along with the geology play an important role in the storage and movement of groundwater in the region. Monitoring strategy and treatment maps based on the above study could explain the need for strategic location of recharge structures in the area. The dissertation can also be accessed at http://www.acwadam.org/pdf/dissertations/dissertations_pdf_07.pdf.
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Papers by Charuta Kulkarni
under warmer/stable climatic and socio-political conditions. In contrast, the LIA interval in the region is expressed through continuous transitions between forest and grassland, extensive land erosion and stressed
agriculture, potentially as a collective artifact of the climatic variability and human impact associated with socio-political stressors of the time. The post-LIA/Industrial Era interval (1850–2012 CE) in the Sava Region
shows an overall increase in woodland as well as agriculture following the exit of the Ottomans. However, increased population pressures and the subsequent onset of the Industrial Revolution as well as increased trade led to intense deforestation throughout the 20th century, which continued during the Socialist period.
Conference Papers by Charuta Kulkarni
Book Chapters by Charuta Kulkarni
Books by Charuta Kulkarni
Theses by Charuta Kulkarni
Chapter 1 discusses the background and the nature of the research problem followed by the extensive literature review on the topic of the Holocene climate and paleoecology. The state of Holocene paleoecology in Europe and in the Balkan region are discussed with an emphasis on the last millennium. The Chapter also includes a summary of key socio-ecological studies across Europe and the techniques used to reveal the long-term human-environmental interactions across the Holocene and the Common Era (past 2000 years). The chapter concludes with the significance of the current study.
Chapter 2 presents the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia over the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through XRF, and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA; c.1500-1850 CE). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post-LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.
Chapter 3 describes a well-dated, high-resolution Central Balkan record of vegetation and landscape change over the past 700 years from the Sava Region, Serbia. This timespan includes the LIA (1500-1850 CE) with several centuries before and after this important interval for comparison. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS 14C dating from the Sava basin sediments delimit the evolution of the Serbian landscape across a warm-stable pre-LIA interval with relatively high tree percentages, modest occurrence of anthropogenic taxa, and relatively stable agriculture supported by grazing. On the contrary, the LIA interval in the region is expressed through opening and closing of the tree canopies and extensive land erosion, perhaps in response to climatic deterioration and human impact largely associated with socio-political changes of the time. The post-LIA interval shows stabilized woodland in the riparian region, establishment of arable lands nearby lakes and selective forest clearance strategies by humans in the wake of the industrial revolution. Establishing correlation with existing Serbian environmental datasets, this record reveals the transformation of the Central Balkan landscape and its apparent linkages with changing climatic and socio-political regimes.
Chapter 3 also includes a regional comparison between the Sava core and western Serbian lake to capture the nature and impact of the LIA climatic condition and contemporary human societies on the Central Balkan landscapes. During the 15th-19th CE, indigenous tree (e.g. Quercus, Acer, Pinus) and herbaceous (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia) pollen from these records demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics. While tree populations from the Sava region slowly fluctuate between 50 and 70%, the trees of western Serbia vacillate drastically between 30% and 55%. On the other hand, the Sava region grasslands show variations of ~20-43% whereas the western Serbian grass populations exhibit abrupt oscillations between high (59%) and low (32%) percentages. As a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes, the 1-cm resolution potassium and titanium counts are in strong agreement with varying herbaceous taxa. While temporal asynchroneity in the AP and NAP signals between the two cores could be attributed to local factors including differing altitude, terrain exposure, and soils that are inherently different on either sides of the Sava channel, continuous oscillations of both communities during the LIA are analogous. This overall pattern indicates that the Central Balkan landscape at-large was going through considerable environmental change throughout the LIA in the form of opening and closing of the tree canopies on both sides of the Sava Basin. High charcoal indicates accelerated land clearance between the 15th and 17th CE, however, towards the beginning of 18th CE, the cultivars (e.g. Secale, Triticum) peak to suggest improved agriculture in the region. Correlation with the available Serbian environmental records across the LIA reveals the regional dynamics between woodland and grassland under the influence of an unstable and perhaps drier LIA climatic regime (especially in the early LIA) and reforestation of the region during the latter part of the LIA due to both climatic and socio-political reasons. This correlation enhances our understanding of the nature and spatial variability of the LIA across the Balkans and its interactions with the contemporary societies.
Chapter 4 examines the interactions of environmental and social dynamics in Central Balkans over the past 700 years, a period that experienced the LIA climatic condition and the warm 20th century. Meanwhile, the same period witnessed a complex human history with the emergence-rise-decline of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent socio-political events (e.g. wars, famines, migrations, epidemics). Environmental datasets for this socio-environmental analysis include biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals, and a detailed AMS 14C based chronology of two Central Balkan lakes while social datasets include historic population data, land use, records of societal calamities, and critical historic events derived from a review of the literature and local archives. Among the environmental datasets, indigenous tree and herbaceous pollen from the Central Balkans demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics whereas potassium counts obtained through XRF act as a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes. Microscopic charcoal, cereal pollen and subordinate anthropogenic pollen (e.g. cultivated fruits and vegetables) are used to distinguish the nature of human impact over the landscape. These key anthropogenic indicators create a more thorough social component of the analysis in association with other social datasets. After reconstructing the individual time series for each environmental and social dataset and their synthesis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the two Central Balkan records are correlated in order to visualize how a region responds to social and environmental stressors. Our approach demonstrates ways to integrate natural and social science systems research.