Biodiversity
Sri Lanka is one of the smallest, but biologically diverse countries in
Asia. Consequently it is recognized as a Biodiversity hotspot
of global and national importance. Its varied climate and topographical
conditions have given rise to this rich species diversity, believed to be
the highest in Asia in terms of unit land area.
Much of the species are endemic, a reflection of the island's separation
from the Indian subcontinent since the late Mesozoic. This is especially
relevant for mammals, amphibians, reptiles and flowering plants. These species
are distributed in a wide range of ecosystems which can be broadly categorized
into forest, grassland, aquatic, coastal, marine and cultivated. The diversity
of ecosystems in the country has resulted in a host of habitats, which contain
high genetic diversity.
Biodiversity includes species diversity, genetic diversity and ecosystem
diversity.
Species diversity - fauna and flora
An interesting feature of the species diversity in Sri Lanka is its high degree
of endemism, which is observed in several taxonomic groups. Even more interesting
is distribution of endemics. A large proportion is found in the wet zone in
the south western region of the island.
Flora - Twenty three percent of the flowering plants are
endemic and most of them are confined to the wet evergreen and wet montane
forests of the central and southwest part of the country.
Vegetational analysis has resulted in the identification of fifteen different
floristic regions with the great majority being found in the wet and intermediate
zones. The presence of many floristic regions within a relatively small area
is a reflection of the high level of ecosystem diversity in the country.
Fauna - The fauna of Sri Lanka is as diverse as the flora. While
sharing common features with the neighboring subcontinent, the fauna exhibits
very high endemism among the less mobile groups. With taxonomical revisions
and descriptions of new species the number of species in each group keeps
changing.
For endemic species, the distribution patterns are similar to the flora: the
wet zone has many more endemic species than the dry zone. In terms of mammals,
birds and fishes, the three major groups that are well studies in Sri Lanka,
each group has a different distribution pattern.
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is the component of biodiverstiy that this least documented.
Almost all of the available information is confined to economically important
agricultural crops. The Plant Genetic Resource Centre (PGRC) at Gannuoruwa,
Peradeniya has collected and preserved propagative material of a large number
of species from various agro-climatic zones of the country. For example PGRC
has germoplasm materials of 3194 traditional varieties and cultivars, and
17 wild relatives of Rice (
Oryza sativa).
For fauna, there have been some studies on elephants (
Elephas maximus)
and leopards (
Panthera pardus), which indicate a decrease in genetic
diversity as a consequence of natural isolation from Indian sub-continent.
Ecosystem diversity
There is a wide range of ecosystem diversity in the island. The major natural
ecosystems in the country are forests, grasslands, inland wetlands, and coastal
and marine ecosystems. It also includes agricultural ecosystems.
Forests varying from wet evergreen forests (both lowland and montane), dry
mixed evergreen forests to dry thorn forests. Grasslands are found in montane
and low country Inland wetlands include a complex network of rivers and freshwater
bodies. Marine ecosystems include sea-grass beds, coral reefs, estuaries and
lagoons and mangrove swamps.
Sri Lanka: One of 25 World's Biodiversity Hot Spots
Sri Lanka has been identified by the environment activist group
Conservation International (CI) as one of 25 biodiversity hot spots in the world.
These hot spots could have maximum benefit by preservation efforts, the magazine
said in a cover story titled "Heroes for the Planet: Earth Angles".
The U.S.-based CI said that together with Western India, Sri Lanka, the island in the Indian ocean,
accounts for 2,180 plant species that are unique to each hot spot.
Sri Lanka's tropical rain forest ecosystem is considered as an area which is disturbed by human activity, but still exceptionally rich in animal and plant species found nowhere else.
Reference:
Environment Division, Ministry of Transport, Environment and Women's Affairs
(1994) Strategy for the preparation of a biodiversity action plan for Sri
Lanka. Prepared by IUCN and Ministry of TEWA.
Forest Sector Master Plan (1995) Forestry Planning Unit, Minsitry of Agriculture,
Lands and Forestry.