Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve
The name Sinharaja believes to have derived from the
Lion king who lived in the thick rain forest in early days of Sri Lanka.
According to the tradition, the Lion King have been stoned to death by people
seeking free of lion's attacking. The
rock cave in the higher forest believes where that lion was dwelled, however
there was no evidence has been found in close proximity to prove the tradition.
Nevertheless there is an evidence for existence of Lions in the country where
there was fossils found from a gem pit in Kuruvita dating back to nearly
100,000 years.
Rainforest is just the remaining after human
settlement in the area for centuries over centuries. At present total area of the forest from East
to West is 21km (13Miles) by long and North to South at maximum point 7km
(4.3Miles) by width. Rainforest consist with three peaks namely Siharaja,
Mulawella and Hinipitigala after losing many of its dense forest area today. The
highest elevation is 1100 meter above sea level. There are 2 entrance ways to
the world heritage rainforest after it has designated as a World Biosphere
Reserved in 1978 where soon after withdrawing the plywood industry engaged
thereto cut its trees. And then after a decade later in 1988 UNESCO has
designated the forest as a world heritage site.
o Entrance way 1 Kudawa entrance for Kalawana
o Entrance way 2 Pitadeniya entrance from Deniyaya
Other evidence that associate with Sinharaja
rainforest is that Tiger fossils found from Batadhomba dating back to about
13000 - 17000 years old. And Tigers' favourite prey Gover (Gour) s' last site
was dated back to 1815 in Sri Lanka. It is believe that large number of these beautiful
huge bulls was roaming within the premises of Sinharaja Mountains of lands.
However, none of these three mammals are exist anymore in Sri Lankan
forests. But only the evidence to prove
there presents in the past.
FLORA
Like all rainforest in the world Sinharaja has its own
habitats consisting with high number of endemism both the flora and fauna
making a very rich biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka.
The vegetation of the forest has being described as a
tropical lowland rainforest or tropical wet evergreen forest. The forest has its
own striking characteristics such as loftiness of the dominant trees, the
straightness of their bole, the abundance of regeneration and the diversity of
species. The average height of the trees varies from 35m to 40m making canopy
of the forest. Some individuals rise even up to the 50m making them self higher
than the canopy. Humid wet evergreen forest type covered with its own species
making very high endemism. In fact some tree families like Dipterocarpaceae
(හොර) showing
an endemism more than 90%. It seems like untapped genetic potential of
Sinharaja flora is enormous out of 211 woody trees. Lianas so far identified
within the reserve 139, out of them 66% are endemic. Similarly plants at the
lower level like ferns, epiphytes endemism are very rich within the forest, out
of 25 genera endemic to Sri Lanka 13 are exist in Sinharaja. The total of vegetation
density has been estimated about 240,000 individual per hectare which includes
trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings where, 95% of them are at lower level about
1 meter in height well below the canopy of the forest. The density of some
trees like liana over 30cm girth at breast height ranges between 600-700
individuals per hectare while merchantable trees with greater girth over 150cm
ranges between 45-55 individuals per hectare.
Some of the endemic
trees of the forest;
·
Semicarpus -
බදුල්ල
ගස
·
Mesua -
නා
·
Artocarpus - වල් දෙල්
FAUNA
Very rich composition of fauna in the forest
reserve increasing its endemism at very high degree on Butterflies, Fish,
Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds. Many mammals of Sri Lanka can be seen here but
some of them are very rare sight like Leopards and Elephants in recent years. Some
of the mammals could be seen easily are;
·
Sambhur
Dear
·
Barking
Dear
·
Badger
·
Mongoose
·
Golden
Palm Civet
·
Purple
face leaf monkey
Bird species are more interesting in Sinharaja
where almost all 27 (present number of endemic) endemic birds could be seen
Sinharaja. Interestingly some feeding bird flocks are recorded consisting 48
species and 12 endemics.
Lizards are the best represented group of reptiles,
most common is the Kangaroo Lizard and special significance are sighting of
Karunaratne’s Horn Lizard rarest of all lizards found in Sri Lanka.
Some of the Lizards can be seen are;
·
Lion Head
Lizard – Endemic - ගැට හොඩු කටුස්සා
·
Rough Horn
Lizard
There is only one tortoise species recorded in
the reserve is the Hard Shelled Terrapin. Spotted Skink is commonly seen out of
Skink species. Among the snake species Green Pit Viper and Hump Nosed Viper are
common although they are endemic to the country. Amphibians are fairly well represented in the
forest reserve which more than 20 endemic species have been indentified some of
them are Wrinkled Frog, Sri Lanka Reed Frog and etc. Fish species are rich at
higher endemism in the Sinharaja rain forest where can be seen;
·
Comb Tail
Paradise Fish - Endemic
·
Stone
Sucker – Endemic
By: Eranga Jayasinghe
Ref: All details are noted down from the lecture of Mr. Kelum Manamendra
Arachchi at Aiteken Spence travels training program at their head office in
Colombo.
Yala National Park
National
park located within the Southern province and the Uva province, about 190 miles
(300km) south of Colombo. At present the
National park covering the area of 979 km² and it was designated as a National
park in the year 1900 becoming the first designated National park in the Island
in the modern history.
The
National park is consisting variety eco systems due its’ geographical location
where many variety of species are able to seen here. Some area is covering with
monsoon forest against another part of the forest covering with dry
monsoonal forest. Apart from the main forests some area covered with semi
deciduous forest while another part of the land covered with thorn
forest grass lands. And the next important part is that the fresh
water and the marine wetland covering an enormous amount of the area in
this park making vide diversity within the park.
Generally
Yala National park is famous for its Elephant, Leopards, sloth Bear and the variety
birds for many visitors. It is says that Yala is the best place to see Leopards,
making a record of highest density of Leopards comparing to anywhere else in
the world. Elephants are commonly
roaming but not possible to see large groups, where in some occasions could be
able to see 3 or 4 in a herd including the babies of them. Bear is the next important species in this forest,
are very difficult to locate one due hundreds of heavy noisy Jeeps in the park.
Crocodiles, water buffalos, Spotted
Deer, Wild boar and cattle are common in the many places of the park. Some rare
species to see is Samba Deer hiding behind the bushes making them self camouflage.
During a short noisy Jeep safari many other shy species are not possible to
sighted like wild cats, civets and etc, but mongoose are come out to the Jeep
track some times while moving around the Jungle.
The
next important job of this forest is to be the home for large number of bird
species including migrant, breading and endemics. Up to now the recorded number
of bird species here are 215 out of 6 of them are endemic to the Island.
The
area of the forest has been abandon for centuries over centuries and self transferred
in to thick forest causing the lost civilisation in ancient Sri Lanka. There
are 2 archaeological sites inside the National park, namely Sithul Pauwa
and Mangala Vihara which has been neglected for some years causing
the terrorist activities reported before the end of the civil war in 2009. Today
Situla Pauwa and Mangala Vihara are able to visit
for any one or the Buddhist devotes. Some renovation works are being completing
in those two historically important places.
Yala
National park has been recorded another historic sad story killing 250 people on
the 26th December 2004 by the Tsunami within the premises of the
park and the hotel built in buffer zone. Many of them were foreign tourist and were
the staff of the hotel and guides who were associate them.
Some
Endemic Mammals could be seen here are;
o
Sri Lanka Elephant
o
Sri Lanka Leopard
o
Sri Lanka Sloth Bear
o
Sri Lanka Samba Deer
Some
Endemic Birds could be seen here are;
o
Sri Lanka Jungle fowl
o
Sri Lanka Blue faced Malkoha
o
Sri Lanka Green Pigeon
o
Sri Lanka Gray Hornbill
By: Eranga
Jayasinghe
Udawalawa National Park
This
was designated as a National Park on 30th June 1972. Located within
the boundaries of Provinces of Sabaragamuwa and Uva where, there are 165 km
from Colombo towards South East. Forest reserve covered an area of 119 miles².
Some of the areas of the park were used for shifting cultivation by farmers
before the National park expanded for the purpose of wild life reserve as well
as to protect the catchment area for Udawalawa Reservoir dammed on the Walawe
River. The reservoir is feeding by the Kiri Oya (Starting point of the Walawe River)
stream all the way come s down from Horton Plains National Park in the Central
Hills.
National
park’s geographical location between wet and dry zones area of the Island makes
the suitable environment to varieties of species. Annual rain fall to the
forest are measured as 1500ml from the both monsoons, South West in March to
May and North East in October to January. The average temperature has monitored
as 27-28 C˚ annually and relatively humidity calculated between 70-82 % within
the park.
This
National park is mostly famous for its’ Elephants and the bird species
attracting many thousands of visitors to the park annually. Also Udawalawe is
well known for its’ rehabilitation program for abandon baby elephants in the
wild. This orphanage is adjoining to the National park where these Elephant
babies are able to get feed until they become confident to get feed them self
in the wild.
There
are 94 species of trees recorded while fauna species are recorded as follows,
·
Fish 21
·
Amphibious 12
·
Reptiles 33
·
Birds 184
(33 migrants)
·
Mammals 43
·
Butterflies 135
Some
of the Mammals found here are;
Rusty
spotted cat, Fishing Cat, Sri Lanka Leopard, Sri Lanka Sloth Bear, Sambar Deer,
Sri Lanka axis deer, Indian Muntjac, Sri
Lanka spotted Chevrotain, Wild boar, water buffalo, Golden Jackal, Asia Palm
Civet, Golden Palm Civet, Sri Lanka Toque Macaque, Tufted gray langur, Indian Hare, Ceylon spiny
mouse, Indian bush rat, mongoose
By: Eranga Jayasinghe
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