Co-Management Initiatives in Bush Fire Management—A Case of Belihuloya Mountain Range, Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
pp. 443-455
Author(s):  
B. M. R. L. Basnayake ◽  
D. Achini M. De Silva ◽  
S. K. Gunatiliake ◽  
R. H. N. Rajapaksha M. Sandamith ◽  
I. Wickramarathna
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Bush Fire

scholarly journals A preliminary investigation on the dependence of arthropod diversity on vegetation diversity across four contrasting ecosystems in Hanthana mountain range of Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.A.M.T. Weerathunga ◽  
A.M.G.K. Athapaththu ◽  
L.D. Amarasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Pinus Caribaea ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Vegetation Diversity ◽  
Arthropod Diversity

AbstractArthropods contribute significantly to biodiversity and vegetation provides a habitat and resources for them to survive, exist and propagate. We report a preliminary investigation on the extent to which arthropod diversity is dependent upon vegetation diversity across different ecosystems in a humid tropical climate. We determined the diversity of arthropods in four ecosystems closely-located ecosystems with different vegetation. Vegetation surrounding an aquatic environment (AQ), a broad-leaved wet, evergreen forest ecosystem (BL), a Pinus caribaea monoculture plantation (PN) and a Pinus plantation artificially enriched with indigenous broad-leaved tree species (PNEN) located in the Hanthana mountain range in Central Sri Lanka were selected. In each environment, arthropods were sampled in three randomly-selected sites (5 m x 5 m) using four sampling methods. Collected arthropods were identified upto the highest possible taxa using standard identification keys. Simultaneously, vegetation diversity was determined via a plant census. Arthropod and vegetation diversities were computed separately for each site using Shannon-Wiener Index (H).Within the 300 m2 area of observation plots, arthropod individuals belonging to 68 species and 43 families were found. AQ had the greatest arthropod diversity (H=2.642), dominated by Olios spp. followed by BL (H=2.444), dominated by three arthropods, namely, a tettigonid species, Oxytate spp. and Psechrus spp. PN had the next highest arthropod diversity (H=1.411), dominated by Dicaldispa spp. The lowest arthropod diversity was found at PNEN (H=1.3500), dominated by an ant species. Contrastingly, PNEN had the highest plant diversity (H=2.614) and PN the lowest (H=0.879). AQ (H=1.810) and BL (H=1.871) had intermediate values.In a regression involving data from AQ, BL and PN, arthropod diversity was linearly dependent on plant diversity (R2=0.423) whereas it was not so when PNEN was also included (R2=0.008). This finding supports the hypothesis that while higher plant diversity contributes to greater arthropod diversity in ecosystems where human intervention is minimal, artificial enrichment of plant diversity does not necessarily increase arthropod diversity in the short-to medium-term. Further investigations are needed to substantiate these preliminary findings and validate the above hypothesis.

A new frog species from rapidly dwindling cloud forest streams of Sri Lanka—Lankanectes pera (Anura, Nyctibatrachidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4461 (4) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAYANI SENEVIRATHNE ◽  
V.A.M.P.K. SAMARAWICKRAMA ◽  
NAYANA WIJAYATHILAKA ◽  
KELUM MANAMENDRA-ARACHCHI ◽  
GAYAN BOWATTE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Ecological Niche Models ◽  
Taxonomic Approach ◽  
Forest Streams

The monotypic genus Lankanectes, considered an evolutionary long branch with India’s Nyctibatrachus as its sister lineage, is represented by L. corrugatus, a species widely distributed within the wet zone of Sri Lanka up to 1500 m asl, where it inhabits a variety of lotic and lentic habitats. Here, following an integrative taxonomic approach using DNA-based phylogenies, morphology, morphometry, and ecological niche models, we describe a new species—Lankanectes pera sp. nov. The new species is distinguished from its sister species mainly by its tuberculated throat and absence of dark patches on venter, throat, manus and pes. The uncorrected genetic distances between the two Lankanectes species for a fragment of the non-coding mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene is 3.5–3.7%. The new species has a very restricted climatic distribution with a total predicted area of only 360 km2 (vs. 14,120 km2 for L. corrugatus). Unlike L. corrugatus, which prefers muddy substrates and marshy areas, the new species is observed inhabiting only pristine streams flowing through canopy covered montane forests in the highest reaches of the Knuckles Mountain range. The specialized new species will need immediate conservation attention due to its restricted distribution (montane isolate), specialized habit of inhabiting clear mountain streams, and small population size. 

scholarly journals The Effect of Grid Spacing and Domain Size on the Quality of Ensemble Regional Climate Downscaling over South Asia during the Northeasterly Monsoon

2010 ◽  
Vol 138 (7) ◽  
pp. 2780-2802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Hua Qian ◽  
Lareef Zubair
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Domain Size ◽  
Grid Size ◽  
Windward Side ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Grid Spacing ◽  
Large Domain ◽  
Climate Downscaling

Abstract The performance of an ensemble-based dynamical regional climate downscaling system is evaluated over southern Asia in a northeasterly monsoon season for different choices in grid spacing and domain size. A seven-member ensemble of the ECHAM4.5 global climate model at a resolution of about 300-km grid size was used to drive the RegCM3 regional climate model with grid sizes of 100, 50, 25, and 20 km, respectively. The performance is reported in detail over Sri Lanka. Two sets of regional model runs were undertaken to assess the effect of grid spacing and model domain size on the downscaling performance. The RegCM3 simulation with 100-km grid size significantly underestimates the height of the central mountain range in Sri Lanka, in a manner that is too coarse to capture orographic influences on the rainfall. However, the RegCM3 simulations with grid sizes from 20 to 50 km capture mesoscale features that arise from uplift condensation on the windward side of the monsoon winds due to the topography. These simulations also capture the orographic influences on the month-to-month rainfall over Sri Lanka that were absent in the ECHAM4.5. While the “small domain” runs [where only the forcings for the region immediately around Sri Lanka (4°–11°N, 76°–85°E) are used] are computationally more efficient, the results are overly controlled by the lateral boundary driving of the ECHAM4.5 so they inherit large uncertainty from the seven ECHAM4.5 realizations used for the RegCM3 ensemble runs. The “large domain” simulation used a domain comprising both land and ocean (approximately 4°S–22°N, 65°–96°E). The large-domain group of simulations produced reasonable spatial distribution of precipitation over the region. Moreover, the ensemble spread was considerably reduced in the large-domain high-resolution runs. Therefore, fine enough grid resolution (25 km or less) and sufficiently large domain size are both needed to simulate the essential features of precipitation in this tropical and monsoonal region.

Shrubland fire regime scenarios in the Swartberg Mountain Range, South Africa: implications for fire management

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. W. Seydack ◽  
S. J. Bekker ◽  
A. H. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Relative Role ◽  
High Altitudes ◽  
Fire Control ◽  
Natural Fire

Over the last seven decades, the Mediterranean-type shrublands of the Swartberg Mountain Range (170 856 ha), South Africa, have been subject to divergent fire management policies. Management objectives sequentially focused on grazing, fire control, water and biodiversity conservation during successive fire management periods. The aim of the present study was to explore the factors that determined the prevailing fire regime patterns during these fire management periods. This was considered particularly relevant in view of the ongoing debate on the relative role of fuel characteristics versus weather and ignition rates in shaping fire regime patterns. The extent of burning followed climatic cycles of alternating periods of relatively high temperatures and summer rainfall with cooler periods and increased winter rainfall. Accordingly, fires occurred more extensively during the former and were largely unaffected by the absence or presence of fire control measures. Fire return intervals were strongly inversely related to productivity of the vegetation. Long-term means between 30 and 55 years were found to apply in low-altitude xeric shrubland types. Corresponding fire return intervals were generally shorter in mesic shrublands at mid to high altitudes (15–30 years). Proteoid shrublands younger than 6 years were practically non-flammable. Two basic fire regime scenarios were identified. Fire regime patterns in xeric shrublands at lower altitudes were largely controlled by the rate of fuel accumulation, whereas climatically controlled ignition frequencies and fire climate constituted the dominant controls in proteoid shrublands at mid to high altitudes. The spatiotemporal distribution of fire regime parameters (fire frequencies, season, size and intensity) as recorded in the present study for the Swartberg Mountain Range under natural fire zone management (predominance of lightning fires since 1980), appeared to be conducive to the maintenance of biodiversity according to our current understanding of the fire–vegetation system.

A review of the genus Labeo (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Sri Lanka 

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4486 (3) ◽  
pp. 201 ◽  
Author(s):  
HIRANYA SUDASINGHE ◽  
R.H. THARINDU RANASINGHE ◽  
SAMPATH de ALWIS GOONATILAKE ◽  
MADHAVA MEEGASKUMBURA
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Lateral Line ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Mitochondrial Genes ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Single Pair ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Fin Rays

The taxonomy of the three native taxa assigned to the genus Labeo (L. dussumieri, L. fisheri and L. porcellus lankae) in Sri Lanka is reviewed. The population hitherto identified as L. dussumieri in Sri Lanka is shown to be a distinct species, here named L. heladiva. Labeo heladiva, new species, has a wide distribution in the low and mid-elevations of the island and is distinguished from its Indian congeners by the combination of having two pairs of barbels; 12–13 branched dorsal-fin rays; lateral line with 44–51 scales; ½8–½9+1+6–7 scales in transverse series; and 19–22 circumpeduncular scales. It differs from its closest relative, L. dussumieri, principally by having 44–51 vs. 50–60 lateral-line scales, 19–22 vs. 22–27 circumpeduncular scales, and by uncorrected pairwise genetic distances of 1.27–2.22% and 1.88–2.91% for the two mitochondrial genes COI and cytb, respectively. Labeo fisheri, which is endemic to the upper reaches of the Mahaweli River basin in the Knuckles mountain range and the central hills in the vicinity of Kandy, is distinguished from Indian congeners by having (in combination) only a single pair of barbels; dorsal fin with 10–12 branched rays; lateral line with 37–39 scales; 7+1+4½–6 scales in transverse series; and 17–20 circumpeduncular scales. Labeo lankae is recognized as a valid species endemic to Sri Lanka. Long suspected to have become extinct, or known only from spurious records, an extant population is reported from the northern dry zone of the island. Labeo lankae is the sister species of L. porcellus of peninsular India; it can be distinguished from its congeners by having, in combination, 10–12 branched dorsal-fin rays; 36–39 lateral-line scales; ½8+1+5–6½ scales in transverse series; and 21–24 circumpeduncular scales. It differs from L. porcellus principally by having ½8 (vs. ½6–½7) scales between the origin of the dorsal fin and the lateral line, 21–24 (vs. 20–21) circumpeduncular scales and uncorrected pairwise genetic distances of 1.27% and 1.41% for the mitochondrial genes COI and cytb, respectively. The three species of Labeo in Sri Lanka do not form a monophyletic group. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document