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Received 5 December 2007; revised accepted 10 September 2008 Pollen proxy records of Holocene vegetation and climate change from Mansar Lake, Jammu region, India Anjali Trivedi 1, * and M. S. Chauhan 2 1 Department of Geology, Lucknow University, Lucknow 226 007, India 2 Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow 226 007, India Pollen analysis of a 30 m deep sediment core from Man- sar Lake has revealed that around 9000–8000 yrs BP, the mixed chirpine–oak forests dominated by Pinus cf. roxburghii (chirpine) existed in the Jammu region un- der a cool and dry climate. Later, they were succeeded by mixed oak–chirpine forests between 8000 and 7000 yrs BP with the expansion of oak (Quercus cf. in- cana) and other broad-leaved taxa in response to ini- tiation of a warm and humid climate. Between 7000 and 3000 yrs BP, the cool and dry climate prevailed again as inferred by the reduction in broad-leaved taxa and a simultaneous improvement in the conifers, especially Pinus cf. roxburghii. However, a brief spell of pluvial activity is witnessed between 5500 and 4250 yrs BP, as envisaged by the presence of sandy de- posits. Around 3000 to 750 yrs BP, expansion of oak and most of the broad-leaved taxa suggests the preva- lence of a warm and more humid climate. From 750 yrs BP to the Present the climate deteriorated, as reflected by the replacement of mixed oak–chirpine forests by mixed chirpine–oak forests in the region. There has been an acceleration of human activities during the last millennium as indicated by the record of culture pollen taxa. Keywords: Climate change, Holocene, pollen proxy, vegetation. EXTENSIVE Quaternary palaeoclimatic studies have been carried out in various sectors of the Himalaya such as Kumaon 1,2 , Garhwal 3–5 , Himachal Pradesh 6–9 , Ladakh 10 and Kashmir 11–13 , based on pollen evidence retrieved from the lacustrine sediments. However, the Jammu region, abounded with a number of natural lakes and sedimentary deposits, has not yet received attention to understand the antiquity of the flora and climatic changes this region has experienced during the Quaternary period. The present communication brings out some interesting facts concern- ing the vegetation scenario as well as the climatic fluctua- tions and the impact of anthropogenic activities in the region during the Holocene through the pollen analytical investigation of a 30 m deep sediment core from the Mansar Lake. Mansar, a freshwater lake in the Lower Siwalik belt, is situated about 60 km east of Jammu city between 75°8′52″ E long. and 32°41′28″ lat., at an elevation of 665 m amsl