Characterisation of clay mineralogy of the major soils in the Northern region of Sri Lanka

Sea cucumber fishing pattern and the social and economic characteristics of sea cucumber fisher communities in the north, north-west and north-east regions of Sri Lanka were assessed using the data collected from November 2015 to January 2017. A total of 9 sea cucumber species is landed in these areas using three fishing methods; diving (SCUBA and breath-hold), gleaning and surrounding nets. SCUBA diving is the dominant fishing method and SCUBA divers do both day and night fishing reporting the highest catch rates (CPUE ± SD in numbers/person/day) than the other fishers (p < 0.05; ANOVA). Gleaning is entirely carried out by fisherwomen in the northern region whereas 28 surrounding nets are used targeting low-value Stichopus naso. CPUE found to be varied with respect to species, region and fishing method (p < 0.05; ANOVA). Bohadschia vitiensis made the highest percentage contribution (61.3%) to the total sea cucumber landings during the study period. Among all fishers, SCUBA divers reported the highest average net monthly income. Men play a dominant role in sea cucumber fishing (98%), processing (99%) and marketing (100%). Fishermen in the age range of 25–67 yr, having only primary education mainly involved in the sea cucumber industry. The sea cucumber value chain consists of fishers (∼2000), middlemen (12), processors (16) and exporters (7). A significant increase in overall price development from fishers to the exporters was reported for all 9 species (p < 0.05; ANOVA). Fishers received a proportionally higher share of the end-market price mainly for low-value Bohadschia spp. Although fishers receive disproportionately low returns compared to other value chain players, 47.8% of fishers showed high satisfaction towards the prices they received from buyers. However, 83.6% of fishers are not satisfied with existing management measures. Apart from strengthening the existing management measures, this information is important to update the regional and global sea cucumber statistics.

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Yield and nutritional quality potential of three fodder grasses in the Northern region of Sri Lanka

Tropical Agricultural Research ◽

10.4038/tar.v28i2.8194 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 175 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. Sarmini ◽

S. Premaratne

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Northern Region ◽

Fodder Grasses

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Background levels of some trace elements in weathered soils from the Brazilian Northern region

Scientia Agricola ◽

10.1590/s0103-90162010000100008 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 53-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Francisco Souza Fadigas ◽

Nelson Moura Brasil do Amaral Sobrinho ◽

Lucia Helena Cunha dos Anjos ◽

Nelson Mazur

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Multiple Linear Regression ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Clay Mineralogy ◽

Inverse Correlation ◽

Northern Region ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

General Terms ◽

Metal Levels

Soils formed from the Barreiras Group sediments, located mainly along the coast of Brazil Northern and Northeastern regions, generally present low concentrations of iron oxides and total organic carbon, high quantities of quartz in the sand fraction, and kaolinitic clay mineralogy. The objective of the present study was to quantify the pseudo total concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Zn and Fe in Xhantic Udox and Xhantic Udult soils derived from these sediments. The reference sites were covered by native vegetation and located in the States of Pará and Amapá, Brazil. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to determine correlations between soil parameters and the levels of these metals. The best correlation was obtained between Fe, Mn, clay, and silt contents, and Cd, Co, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni. A correlation between pH and these metal levels was not found. Clay and sand contents showed a negative inverse correlation with the metal levels,of same magnitude but with a different sign; this was the reason for excluding one of the parameters in the regression model. In general, the contents of the elements were lower than those found in soils formed from other parent materials. The Mn content was included in the model of multiple linear regression for Cd and Co, due to its association with these last metals. Silt level showed to have a significant influence in the equations for Cr and Co, which is attributed to the presence of clay minerals and Fe and Mn oxides in ferruginous and clay aggregates of silt size. The equations obtained in this paper, are useful to predict, in general terms, the amounts of those heavy metals in an unknown soil sample, if the soil material were not contaminated or affected by land usage. Thus, they may be applied to evaluate soil contamination by the studied heavy metals.

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The Status of the Coral Reefs of the Jaffna Peninsula (Northern Sri Lanka), with 36 Coral Species New to Sri Lanka Confirmed by DNA Bar-Coding

Oceans ◽

10.3390/oceans2030029 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 509-529

Author(s):

Ashani Arulananthan ◽

Venura Herath ◽

Sivashanthini Kuganathan ◽

Anura Upasanta ◽

Akila Harishchandra

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Coral Species ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Coral Cover ◽

Northern Region ◽

Live Coral ◽

Northern Coast ◽

Acropora Digitifera ◽

The Status

Sri Lanka, an island nation located off the southeast coast of the Indian sub-continent, has an unappreciated diversity of corals and other reef organisms. In particular, knowledge of the status of coral reefs in its northern region has been limited due to 30 years of civil war. From March 2017 to August 2018, we carried out baseline surveys at selected sites on the northern coastline of the Jaffna Peninsula and around the four largest islands in Palk Bay. The mean percentage cover of live coral was 49 ± 7.25% along the northern coast and 27 ± 5.3% on the islands. Bleaching events and intense fishing activities have most likely resulted in the occurrence of dead corals at most sites (coral mortality index > 0.33). However, all sites were characterised by high values of diversity (H’ ≥ 2.3) and evenness (E ≥ 0.8). The diversity index increased significantly with increasing coral cover on the northern coast but showed the opposite trend on the island sites. One hundred and thirteen species of scleractinian corals, representing 16 families and 39 genera, were recorded, as well as seven soft coral genera. Thirty-six of the scleractinian coral species were identified for the first time on the island of Sri Lanka. DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was employed to secure genetic confirmation of a few difficult-to-distinguish new records: Acropora aspera, Acropora digitifera, Acropora gemmifera, Montipora flabellata, and Echinopora gemmacea.

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Potential expansion of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) cultivation to the Northern region of Sri Lanka: SWOT analyses in Vavuniya district

Journal of the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka ◽

10.4038/jrrisl.v92i0.1861 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 92 (0) ◽

pp. 62

Author(s):

V. H. L. Rodrigo ◽

S. M. M. Iqbal ◽

E. S. Munasinghe ◽

B. M. D. C. Balasooriya

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Hevea Brasiliensis ◽

Northern Region ◽

Swot Analyses

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Emerging scrub typhus infection in the northern region of Sri Lanka

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/1756-0500-7-719 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 719 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jebananthy Pradeepan ◽

Natkunam Ketheesan ◽

Kalamathy Murugananthan

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Scrub Typhus ◽

Northern Region

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Characterization of the Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of the Dengue Epidemic in Northern Sri Lanka

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprsarchives-xl-8-163-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol XL-8 ◽

pp. 163-166

Author(s):

S. Anno ◽

K. Imaoka ◽

T. Tadono ◽

T. Igarashi ◽

S. Sivaganesh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Land Cover ◽

Spatial Association ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Precipitable Water ◽

Northern Region ◽

Satellite Monitoring ◽

Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽

Dengue Outbreaks

Dengue outbreaks are affected by biological, ecological, socio-economic and demographic factors that vary over time and space. These factors have been examined separately, with limited success, and still require clarification. The present study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal relationships between these factors and dengue outbreaks in the northern region of Sri Lanka. Remote sensing (RS) data gathered from a plurality of satellites: TRMM TMI, Aqua AMSR-E, GCOM-W AMSR2, DMSP SSM/I, DMSP SSMIS, NOAA-19 AMSU, MetOp-A AMSU and GEO IR were used to develop an index comprising rainfall. Humidity (total precipitable water, or vertically integrated water vapor amount) and temperature (surface temperature) data were acquired from the JAXA Satellite Monitoring for Environmental Studies (JASMES) portal which were retrieved and processed from the Aqua/MODIS and Terra/MODIS data. RS data gathered by ALOS/AVNIR-2 were used to detect urbanization, and a digital land cover map was used to extract land cover information. Other data on relevant factors and dengue outbreaks were collected through institutions and extant databases. The analyzed RS data and databases were integrated into geographic information systems, enabling both spatial association analysis and spatial statistical analysis. Our findings show that the combination of ecological factors derived from RS data and socio-economic and demographic factors is suitable for predicting spatial and temporal patterns of dengue outbreaks.

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First Evidence from Sri Lanka for Subphenotypic Diversity within L. donovani-Induced Classical Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/3537968 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Yamuna Siriwardana ◽

Bhagya Deepachandi ◽

Sudath Weerasinghe ◽

Nadira Karunaweera ◽

Chandanie Udagedara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis ◽

Host Response ◽

Leishmania Donovani ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Northern Region ◽

Parasite Strain ◽

Laboratory Confirmation ◽

First Time ◽

Transmission Foci

Sri Lanka reports a large focus of Leishmania donovani-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with CL as the main clinical entity. Two independent, long existed, and clinicoepidemiologically different transmission foci in the northern region (NR) and southern region (SR) were recently reported. Current project is an extension to this previous study. Clinical diversity within a profile of classical cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL) in a focus of L. donovani-induced CL is described for the first time. Patients with laboratory confirmed CCL ( n = 550 ) from NF and SF were evaluated. Lesions in both foci were found to have all classical developmental stages (small and large nodules, ulcerating nodules, and ulcers) and other identified changes (multiplication, ulceration, and enlargement). Main difference was in the proportions of lesions progressing in to each different stages, proportions of lesion undergoing the main changes, and in timing of these changes during the course of a lesion. Northern focus reported a smaller proportion of lesions showing enlargement and ulceration, and a longer period of time was also required for these changes when compared to same in southern focus. In northern focus, most lesions remained small and nonulcerating and showed a higher tendency to multiply while most lesions reported in southern focus enlarged and ulcerated rapidly and remained single. Current study also evidenced a wider spectrum in the rate and pattern of progression of a skin lesion and high individual variation which could mask these region-based differences. Parasitic, vector-related, or a host etiology is suggested. Slow progressing nonulcerating infections in North may be the result of a well-adopted parasite strain that coevolved with its host for a long period while inducing only a minimal host response. This could be one among many reasons for previously observed silent expansion in northern focus while southern focus remained more confined and stable over time. Small nonprogressive, nondisturbing lesions can play a major role as silent parasite reservoirs in a community. In addition, the laboratory detection rate declined significantly when lesions multiplied and enlarged indicating the need for early laboratory confirmation. Usefulness of identified features in clinical screening and management needs to be considered.

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