Ecologists tap into 750 years of Marathi lit to explain Maharashtra's landscape history
Ecologists are using traditional Marathi literature, spanning 750 years, to demonstrate that western Maharashtra's landscape has historically been ancient tropical savannas, not degraded forests. By analyzing texts like sant biographies and folklore, they found consistent descriptions of open landscapes and dominant tree species, challenging romanticized notions of a perpetually forested past.
Ecologists are using traditional Marathi literature, spanning 750 years, to demonstrate that western Maharashtra's landscape has historically been ancient tropical savannas, not degraded forests. By analyzing texts like sant biographies and folklore, they found consistent descriptions of open landscapes and dominant tree species, challenging romanticized notions of a perpetually forested past.
