SCIENTISTS at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow and the Indian Institute of Tropical Botany in Pune have found growth rings of tropical trees such as teak (Tectona grandis) and tun (Cedrela toona) can be used to reconstruct the climate, especially the vagaries of the monsoon, in the area.

In their report published in Current Science (Vol. 62 No. 11), the scientists have noted teak growth rings are wider in years of good rainfall. If one or two dateable species are found for each of the diversified tropical forests, climate change studies in the Indian subcontinent would receive a significant fillip.