Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degrading Fungi Inhabiting the Phyllosphere of Ornamental Plants on Roadsides of Urban Areas in Sri Lanka

Floriculture is a flourishing industry in Sri Lanka with a great potential in both domestic and export market. Street and mobile flower vending is a micro enterprise which is not a negligible portion of floriculture sector in the country. Present study was conducted to investigate the constraints faced by street and mobile flower vendors and to understand their willingness to adopt those challenges. Randomly selected 40 flower vendors from Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire by visiting them at their marketing sites such as streets, week fairs and “Kaprukawaruna” exhibitions conducted by Coconut Cultivation Board, Matara. According to the findings, majority of the respondents engage in the business as a full time employment and 43.3% of the vendors sell plants grown in their own nurseries. Apart from the flowering and ornamental plants, they sell fertilizers, coir dust and coconut husk pieces and product diversification has a significant impact (p=0.016) on their monthly income. Average nursery size was found to be 500ft2 where average income was noted as 200 USD. Among the vendors 70% use their own money to refinance the business. Majority of the respondents (60%) were members of different flower grower societies. Vendors (87.5%) sell their products targeting week fairs and (62.5%) sell their products beside the streets in temporary fixed huts. Not having an authorized place to market their goods was identified as the major problem by 85% of the respondents. Majority of the vendors (62.5%) were willing to expand the business while 42.5% identified this as a profitable venture to invest. According to the binary logistic regression results, age (p=0.000), education level (p=0.001), economic status (p=0.057), nursery size (p=0.004) and credit accessibility (p=0.024) were positively related with their willingness to adopt for the challenges they face. It is concluded that following key actions must be taken to strengthen the street and mobile flower vendors for their further empowerment: Provision of proper authorized sites of operation, improve the market credit and other infrastructure facilities and more training opportunities.

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PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS AND CUT FLOWERS IN PERI-URBAN AREAS: AN ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE BARCELONA METROPOLITAN REGION, SPAIN

Urban Growth and the Circular Economy ◽

10.2495/ug180231 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

XAVIER RECASENS ◽

OSCAR ALFRANCA

Keyword(s):

Environmental Analysis ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Metropolitan Region ◽

Cut Flowers

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OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH OF MUSHROOMS IN SRI LANKA

Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana ◽

10.35196/rfm.2017.4.399-403 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 399-403

Author(s):

Samantha C. Karunarathna ◽

Peter E. Mortimer ◽

Jianchu Xu ◽

Kevin D. Hyde

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Future Development ◽

Native Species ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Current Status ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Mycological Research ◽

The Future ◽

Available Information

According to recent estimates the mycota of Sri Lanka is highly diverse, yet it has been relatively little studied and remains poorly understood. Sri Lanka may contain up to 25,000 species of fungi, of which only a little more than 2000 are presently known, and this estimate does not take into account the large number of exotics introduced along with food, plantation, and ornamental plants. Mycological research in Sri Lanka has been limited to certain parts of the country, and the available information is widely dispersed, difficult to access, and plagued by synonymy. Commercially cultivable mushrooms were first introduced to Sri Lanka in 1985, and today both endemic and non-native species are cultivated. This paper addresses the current status of Sri Lankan mushroom research, and suggests measures which are needed to support the future development of Sri Lankan mycology.

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Assessment of crop and property damage caused by Semnopithecus vetulus nestor (Bennett, 1833) (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae) in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.6582.13.5.18141-18147 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 18141-18147

Author(s):

Sunil Wijethilaka ◽

Lakshani S. Weerasekara ◽

Saumya Bandara ◽

Kithsiri B. Ranawana

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Property Damage ◽

Severe Problem ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Two Factors ◽

Semnopithecus Vetulus Nestor

In earlier times, human-monkey interactions were not a severe problem in Sri Lanka, but has recently intensified as a result of habitat fragmentation and urbanization. Due to these changes, Semnopithecus vetulus nestor has been listed among the 25 most Endangered primates. The objective of our study was to evaluate the intensity of human-S.v. nestor negative interaction by identifying the crop and property damages in villages bordering Danawkanda Forest (7.001N & 80.049E), Gampaha, Sri Lanka. We collected data using structured questionnaires interviewing households (N= 80) bordering the Danawkanda Forest from August 2014 to January 2015. Households were most affected by damage to fruits, leaves, and buds of commercially important trees (93%), followed by damage to roof tiles (76%), and frightful confrontations with the monkeys (43%). Average monthly loss per household from crop and property damage was estimated at between (Sri Lankan Rupees) LKR 2,700 and LKR 1,500. Lighting firecrackers was the most common method used by the residents (99%) to deter monkeys, where as electrified barriers were rarely used (4%). Households in close proximity to Danawkanda Forest experienced a considerable loss to their monthly income due to crop and property damage, compared to households further away. As an alternative, residents now grow ornamental plants and short trees, eliminating the structures that attract and facilitate damage by S.v. nestor. Awareness and active participation of residents, authorized government, and non-governmental organizations are needed to manage unplanned construction and agriculture plot extensions into the forest. These two factors trigger the human-wildlife negative interactions in general and are not limited just to monkeys.

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Impact of Age and Social Class on Individual Music Preference in Selected Urban and Sub-urban Areas of Sri Lanka

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3809091 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Palihaderu P.A.D.S ◽

Mendis B.I.L.M. ◽

Premarathne J.M.K.J.K ◽

Dissanayake A.S. ◽

IRajapaksha H. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Class ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Music Preference

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Classifying Outdoor Recreation Opportunities in Urban and Semi-Urban Areas: A Case of Sri Lanka

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP) ◽

10.29322/ijsrp.10.10.2020.p10690 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 714-730

Author(s):

GMG Sampath ◽

K Jayantha ◽

DLIHK Peiris ◽

RPDD Rajapaksha ◽

AMSJP Abeykoon

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Outdoor Recreation ◽

Recreation Opportunities

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Nutritional Value of Habitat for Moose on Urban and Military Lands

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ◽

10.3996/062014-jfwm-045 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 158-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Joseph H. Welch ◽

Perry S. Barboza ◽

Sean D. Farley ◽

Donald E. Spalinger

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Model Potential ◽

Habitat Modification ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Winter Diet ◽

Nutrition And Diet ◽

Moose Population

Abstract Moose Alces alces are large and conspicuous animals valued for wildlife watching and hunting opportunities. However, near urban areas they can cause collisions with vehicles and damage to garden and ornamental plants. We studied a population of adult female moose that lives in and around both urban and industrial development on an active Army and Air Force base adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska, to evaluate nutrition and diet, map habitat quality, and model how habitat development affects the number of moose the landscape can support. Population density was moderate and hunter harvest was high in our study area, so we hypothesized that moose in our study area would be in similar condition to other healthy populations in Alaska. We also hypothesized that, in our study area, shrublands would support more moose than any other habitat type and that areas disturbed for urban development would be crucial to maintaining the local moose population. Rump fat depths, blood chemistries, and pregnancy rates in November and March for moose in our study area were consistent with populations in good to moderate condition. Microhistology of composite fecal samples indicated that willows Salix spp. dominated the summer diet, whereas the winter diet was divided among willows, birch Betula spp., and cottonwood Populus balsamifera. Low concentrations of available nitrogen in winter stems limited the number of moose that could be supported in our study area. Shrublands were the most valuable habitat type for moose, theoretically supporting 11–81 times more moose per hectare than any other habitat type. Shrublands were more concentrated within the developed portion of our study area than the surrounding undeveloped portions of the military base; and the access to shrublands in clearings, greenbelts, and parks sustains the productivity of this moose population despite the many disturbances of an urbanized landscape. Our habitat values can be used to model potential impacts of habitat modification on the number of moose the landscape can support.

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