India's diverse vegetation and landscapes provide an opportunity to understand the responses of vegetation to climate change. By examining pollen and fossil records along with carbon isotopes of organic matter and leaf wax, this review uncovers the rich vegetational history of India. Notably, during the late Miocene (8 to 6 Ma), the transition from C3 to C4 plants in lowland regions was a pivotal ecological shift, with fluctuations in their abundance during the late Quaternary (100 ka to the present). In India, the global phenomenon of C4 expansion was driven by the combined feedback of climate variations, changes in substrate conditions, and habitat disturbances. The Himalayan region has experienced profound transformations, including tree-line migrations, shifts in flowering and fruiting times, species loss, and shifts in plant communities due to changing monsoons and westerlies. Coastal areas, characterized by mangroves, have been dynamically influenced by changing sea extents driven by climate changes. In arid desert regions, the interplay between summer and westerlies rainfall has shaped vegetation composition. This review explores vegetation and climate history since 14 Ma and emphasizes the need for more isotope data from contemporary plants, precise sediment dating, and a better understanding of fire's role in shaping vegetation. ▪This review highlights diverse vegetation and landscapes of India as a valuable source for understanding the vegetation-climate link during the last 14 Myr.▪A significant ecological shift occurred during 8 to 6 Ma in India, marked by the transition from C3 to C4 plants in the lowland regions.▪The abundance of C3 and C4 plants varied in India during the late Quaternary (100 ka to present).▪This review emphasizes the importance of more isotope data, precise sediment dating, and a better understanding of fire's role in shaping vegetation.

中文翻译：

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印度植物和气候的地质史


印度多样化的植被和景观为了解植被对气候变化的反应提供了机会。通过检查花粉和化石记录以及有机物和叶蜡的碳同位素，这篇综述揭示了印度丰富的植被历史。值得注意的是，在中新世晚期（8至6Ma），低地地区从C3植物到C4植物的转变是一个关键的生态转变，其丰度在第四纪晚期（100ka至今）出现波动。在印度，全球 C4 扩张现象是由气候变化、基质条件变化和栖息地干扰的综合反馈驱动的。喜马拉雅地区经历了深刻的转变，包括林线迁移、开花和结果时间的变化、物种丧失以及季风和西风变化导致的植物群落变化。以红树林为特征的沿海地区受到气候变化驱动的海平面变化的动态影响。在干旱沙漠地区，夏季和西风降雨之间的相互作用塑造了植被组成。这篇综述探讨了自 14 Ma 以来的植被和气候历史，并强调需要更多来自当代植物的同位素数据、精确的沉积物年代测定以及更好地了解火灾在塑造植被方面的作用。 ▪本综述强调了印度多样化的植被和景观，作为了解过去 14 Myr 期间植被与气候联系的宝贵来源。▪印度在 8 Ma 至 6 Ma 期间发生了重大生态转变，其标志是从 C3 植物向 C4 植物的转变低地地区。▪第四纪晚期（100ka至今）印度C3和C4植物的丰度有所不同。▪ 本综述强调了更多同位素数据、精确的沉积物年代测定以及更好地了解火灾在塑造植被方面的作用的重要性。