ENDEMIC FLORA (Sinharaja)

The Endemic Flora
The endemic flora of the sinharaja occupies a unique status it accounts for 64% t o75% of the total number of species recorded among the trees and lianes over 30 centimeters in girth. The contribution of the endemics to the forest stand ranges from 75% to 92%. In a single site studied for the vegetation below 30 centimeters in girth, 60% of the total number of species were endemic, and their contribution to the density was 85%.
It is also interesting to note that of the 25 genera endemic to Sri Lanka, 13 are represented in the Sinharaja. Several of these genera are monotypic i.e. they are represented by one single species (Table 6).
Endemic tree species considered to be rare have been identified in the Sinharaja as well as in other lowland rain forests. Studies show that 98% of al sub canopy species and 85% of all understorey species fall into the categories of "Rare", "Vulnerable" and "Endangered" as described by the International Union for Nature and Natural Resource Conservation (IUCN) Red Data Book. Of these endemic tree species, almost 25 species were restricted to a single forest site.
Similarly, of the 217 endemic trees and woody climbers of the rain forest region, 65% i.e. 140 species have so far been recorded in the Sinharaja. This percentage probably does not represent the actual value which could be greater. Although the smaller life-forms have been studied, their percentage values have not been computed as yet.

SINHARAJA RECENT

The Recent Past
For the next two decades, the Sinharaja was to lie largely ignored by scientists and the general public. However, by the late 1950's its timber resources had been exhaustively analyzed (Figure 1). In the late 1960's the country began to turn to the lowland rain forests to meet its growing demand for timber. A fresh survey was carried out to confirm the potential of these forests as a source of plywood. Having established this potential the Plywood Corporation ventured upon an over-ambitious programme to exploit the forest of the establishment of a massive plywood sawmill and chipwood complex with to be set up at Kosgama, 85 kilo meters north-west of Sinharaja and to be fed with timber from the hitherto untapped forest of Kanneliya, Nakiyadeniya, Morapitiya, Runakanda, Delgoda and Sinharaja. By 1970, mechanized logging had already commenced in the reserves of Morapitiya and Kanneliya adjoining Sinharaga, and in 1971, amid much protest, logging was extended to the reserve itself. Within a short period of two years of so, logging trails and roads had been established within the reserve and the forest was in danger of begin totally destroyed. Tow areas of which only one, in the eastern part of the forest (Figure 2), was of sizeable extent.
Figure 1
Timber potential map of Sinharaja (Merrit and Ranatunga, 1959)
The imminent danger through destruction of a forest of a forest of historical significance raised an outcry and a sense of outrage unprecedented in the history of public concern for nature conservation in Sri Lanka. Spearheaded by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, and with support form the clergy, scientists and the general public, the protest movement forced the authorities to reconsider the decision to exploit the Sinharaja and to restrict logging operations within the reserve to a 3,000 acre plot. In 1972, to help support the campaign against logging. Thilo Hoffmann, then President of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, set off on a fact-finding mission, the results of which were documents in "The Sinharaja Forest - 1972, A Non - Technical Account" one of the few accessible general publications on the forest in recent times.
Figure 2
Area logged during the logging project and MAB Reserves proposed in 1972
In 1977, a new government was elected, and one of its first acts was to halt all logging operations in Sinharaja. The workshop for servicing logging equipment set up inside the forest was dismantled and all the machinery withdrawn. In April 1978, the status of the forest reserve was enhanced when it was made an International Man and Biosphere Reserve and thus became of a world-wide chain of such protected areas. These measures were further strengthened in 1988 when the Sinharaja was made a National Wilderness Area and in 1989 when list of World Heritage Sites.
With the cessation of logging activities, scientists once more gained access to the forest. In 1978, a pioneer research progamme was launched by Savitri and Nimal Gunatilleke of the University of Peradeniya. Since then, other Sri Lankan universities, state agencies and institutions and voluntary organizations have been involved in research activities in the forest. Educational programmes on the ecological and conservation value of the Sinharaja have also been conducted for school children, the villagers in the area and members of the public. The reserve has now become the focus of interest for local and foreign naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts. Thus there seems to be some measure of hope that this unique Sri Lankan forest once threatened with total destruction would be preserved for the future.

Greening’ Hotels for responsible tourism
Creating harmony between the built environment and the natural environment
By: Appekka Fernando
An initiative to ‘Green’ Sri Lankan hotels was launched on August 3 under the aegis of the Responsible Tourism Partnership (RTP) a five year project funded by the Travel Foundation, UK along with the cooperation of the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLEA). According to the press release, 34 hotels around the country are due to go ‘Green’ and amongst them are those of the Aitken Spence, John Keells, Jetwing and Confifi group of hotels as well as The Siddhalepha Ayurveda Resort & Spa, Saman Villas and Mermard Hotel & Club.
Accusations of disproportionate energy consumption and environmentally damaging general practices have been dodging the hotel industry for years. As a result of trying to offer their customers the best possible experience while maximising profitability, the trend was to forget that they have a responsibility towards the protection of the environment. Instances such as the marine pollution that occurred when certain hotels along the coast were found to be dumping sewage and waste water to the seas, of overfilling cesspits and mismanagement of waste were common accusations levelled at the hotel industry. However some hotels have adjusted their practices since then to reflect a rising awareness on environmental issues.
Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Champika Ranawaka told the DM that energy conservation and creating harmony between the built environment and the natural environment are a main concern at the moment. The minister said steps like including more green architecture in the building of hotels and resorts should be prioritised because currently most hotels are large chunks of concrete that are at odds with their environment.
He also stated that hotels have been using more than their fair share of energy as a result of things like 24/7 air conditioning. Minister Ranawaka emphasised that “several large scale establishments in Colombo use the electricity equivalent of the usage of 30,000 households in the Moratuwa/Mt Lavinia area” The hotel industry has the ability and capacity to instigate positive changes necessary to make themselves more environmentally conscious and it is a positive step that they have made with this greening initiative. He said that the future constructions made to accommodate the tourism sector would benefit from having these concerns in their minds as “going green” is a fast growing global trend.
Countries that market themselves on the beauty of their natural environment such as Costa Rica have been initiating certification programmes that give hotels a rating percentage that helps travellers identify each hotel by their specific sustainability levels. Not only is this certification programme a tool for travellers, it is also a method to benchmark changes and make them a standard for the industry.
The CST (Certification for Sustainable Tourism) programme rates the hotels on several different sets of descriptors which include the relationship between the physical and biological environment, the facilities provided by the hotel, such as the policies with regard to water and energy consumption and waste management (what happens to the organic waste as well as where the inorganic waste ends up) and the socio – economic environment cultivated by the institution. Then based upon the score they are placed on a level between 0 and 5, with 5 being the optimum level for sustainability. Countries such as the UAE as well, and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce in particular have launched national initiatives to reduce carbon emissions drastically from their hospitality industry by 20% by 2011.
In addition, the UNEP (United Nations Environment Project) have several awareness projects running that help the industry as well as the consumer to become more aware and responsive to the changes that are taking place all over the world as a result of poor environmental practices. The UNEP have put together an international task force to deal with the development of sustainable tourism as a concept called the Marrakech Process. According to the information found on the UNEP website, the tourism industry as one, compared with all the countries in the world, would rank as the 5th largest polluter worldwide.
The UNEP is developing communication tools and training programmes to help counter the damage. Although the effects of these programmes may take years to show, it is most definitely a step in the right direction. There are websites offering the industry benchmarking tools, to help compare themselves to their peers worldwide such as the one offered in the Sustainable Hotel website (www.sustainablehotel.co.uk), but so far nothing specifically has been created for the local hotelier. However this may all change with the present RTP initiative.
Despite the lack of any national certification service, some hotel chains have strived to meet several international standards. Mr Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director of the Aitken Spence group of hotels, said that since 1996 they have been progressively adjusting their practices to be aligned with the ISO 14001 standards (more information on the ISO 14000 Environment Management standards can be found at their website www.iso.org). Today 6 out of their 9 hotels in Sri Lanka have achieved this standard and have adopted environmentally friendlier practices. He also said that they are consistently “Greening the Chain”, referring to the chain of hotels. In addition to this they have also achieved the Green Globe 21 standard for all 9 of their hotels.
Mr. Ravi De Silva, a former engineer who worked with the Aitken Spence group in building the ecologically friendly Kandalama Hotel, and is now acting as an environment management consultant for the group, said that they have made innovative changes in some of their hotels that they are planning on rolling out for the rest of the chain. Among these the gasification plant created at the Tea Factory Hotel Kandapola, has helped the hotel save up to Rs. 350,000 annually on fuel bills, stands out as exemplary. The gasification plant uses Grilicidia, a fast growing hedgerow tree as fodder to heat water, for which they previously used Diesel. Mr. De Silva said along with the monetary savings the gasification plant has reduced the amount of CO2 emissions by almost 250 tonnes annually. He said that the gasification plant due to be opened in the Kandalama Hotel would save up to 350 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted in to the atmosphere. In addition the cultivation of Grilicidia is also beneficial to the de-pollution of the earth as it is a natural nitrogen rich ‘green’ fertliser, commonly substituted for Urea. He said that they are aiming to appeal to a larger group of green tourists, by being featured in green websites and travel sites and that they are already featured in the Green Globe website.
When taking into consideration the disparity in consumption, the larger hotels have lot more responsibility for the environment. Ms. Angie Samuel, brand manager for the Jetwing group said that over the years the Jetwing hotels have taken many steps to make themselves greener and more responsible. Amongst them the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme (JEEP) initiated in January 2008, is one example. It uses the principles of analogue – forestation (quasi natural forests –adaptable to any eco system and climate) and forest gardens to make an impact on the environment through the plantation of trees in an area of 100 acres adjoining the Hunas Falls hotel. This initiative uses community partnership and education programmes to inform children on things like composting methods and to get the message of sustainability out in to the community.
One of the main emphasise of the programme is the cultivation of environmentally sound practices in children at a young age that will ensure the longevity of these initiatives. They also enable guests staying at Jetwing Hotels islandwide to participate in the programme by making it possible for them to make an investment in the minimum of one tree, and receiving JEEP Carbon Credit certificates accordingly. Also Ms. Samuel said that that once the trees bear fruit they will be sold to the community at a very low price and the revenue put back into the expansion of the project. Along with the RTP greening initiative they are also working with the ministry’s Earth Lung programme, tailored to make Sri Lanka a carbon neutral, premier green destination by 2018.
The Greening Sri Lankan Hotels initiative is therefore absolutely necessary step in preserving the balance of the environment while continuing positive economic growth. Mr. Srilal Miththapala, a non-executive board member of the Serendib Group as well as being the Chairman of the Tourist Hotel Association of Sri Lanka, said that going green has to be an economically viable option or the hoteliers would be reluctant to install those methods. He said as it is, in the Serendib Group, there have been savings of 3 to 4 million rupees through the installing of greener practices such as the using of solar heating panels for hot water, the change to CFL lighting and sound solid waste management.
When asked whether these changes will appeal to potential tourists he mentioned that prior to the global economic downturn, the demand for “Green” was very high, with tourists being very concerned about the consumption of resources. However he said, now in the middle of the recession tourists are more cost consious and are less likely to book holidays based entirely on eco friendly practices of hotels . He said that despite this downturn, hotels need to implement these changes because eventually the downward trend is will end and the demand for green holidays will recur, and the hotel industry in the country needs to be prepared to cater to that market.
He also mentioned that the larger hotels that already had green methods implemented in order to participate in this programme to benchmark changes and to help gather true data so that in the future hoteliers would have a standard for comparison . He said that the gathering of data may take up to a year, upon which the analysis of it would make positive change in the future a realistic goal. He also hoped that many more hotels would participate in this programme because it is absolutely vital to make changes in the industry to meet global standards.
Its not just the bigger chains that have been making greener changes to their establishments, Mr. Daya Ratnayaka, chairman of Saman Villas, a boutique hotel in Bentota, said that they have been observing a green mantra almost from inception. The design for the hotel, which is built on a barren land, was inspired by a fact finding trip to Bali, Thailand, because back in 1993 green architecture wasn’t as advanced or widespread in Sri Lanka as it is now. In addition Mr. Ratnayaka also stated that since then they have made small changes to alter the efficiency of the hotel such as the changing of light bulbs and the recycling of waste water.
Another notable change was the replacement of all air conditioning units from the rooms in the hotel with more energy efficient Direct Current Inverter type units at the cost of Rs 7 mil in 2007. These units use are 15 -20% more efficient than the previous units. The Inverter AC units are able to do this by being able to continuously adjust its thermal outflow by altering the speed of the compressor. The engineers at Saman Villa have also added more tweaks to the units such as installing a cooling tower to make these units even more efficient. Mr. Ratnayaka said that with these methods they have been able to reduce up to 4600kg of CO2 per year from entering the atmosphere. Joining hands with the RTP was to act as an example for other hotels that may want to go the green way. He said that making themselves more efficient led to the reaping of economically beneficial rewards as well as reducing their imposition on the environment.
In the press release the CEO of the RTP Ms Charmarie Ma-alge states that the greening of the hotels are to be rolled out in 2 separate phases. In the first phase the hotels will be helped to assess the usage and gauge the methods by which consumption of water and energy could be made more efficient and on where they are at the moment with proper and responsible waste management. Ms Ma-alge also stated that within this phase, the RTP is planning on initiating an awards programme in which the best ecological methods implemented by hoteliers would be rewarded and recognised. Application forms for entry will be made available at RTP participating hotels.
In the second phase the RTP will work with the hotels, providing them with the tools and training to implement the necessary changes to make their hotels both green and profitable. Simple methods such as using lighting and electronic equipment more efficient, using energy saving light bulbs, introducing low-flow showers and restricting water output from taps help with the conservation of resources and cut down on costs. According to Ms Ma-alge most hotels would be able to go even further and perhaps be able to generate enough energy to power themselves and maybe even sell the excess back to the grid. Net Metering as this process is called, is commonly practiced amongst companies and work places that are able to generate their own power through various methods such as solar, wind and bio gas around the world.
These hotels then would be promoted as ‘Green’ hotels with the EU Travellife sustainability store and the Federation of Tour Operators of the UK both of which would be instrumental in diverting more eco conscious tourists in the country. President of the Eco Tourism Foundation of Sri Lanka, Mr. Palitha Gurusingha, said that the changes promised by this initiative are very positive, that the members of the Eco Tourism Foundation have been running their businesses on such values for a long time now. He says that the changes come right on time, as we ourselves can sense the differences brought on by global warming. He also mentioned that cutting the carbon foot print of these hotels as well as future establishments would greatly help to alleviate future issues that may have arisen if these issues went unchecked such as the lack of clean water and the pollution of both air and land.
The Eco revolution is indeed a fast growing trend with ever rising numbers of international travellers that are more concerned with the impact they have in their host country’s eco system. A large scale movement to educate and instruct travellers on the best and most ethical ways to travel is gaining popularity amongst tourists. The International Eco Tourism Organisation website (www.ecotourism.org) and other popular sites such as Lonely Planet and Expedia.com instruct travellers on how to choose hotels and travel agencies that are green with minimal impact on the environment. The proposed changes are small, but indicate a rising awareness of the state of the planet by the hoteliers and the people of Sri Lanka. The need to conserve what we have left is greater now than before since the threats to our eco system are immense.

Management of Mangrove

Title: Management potential of mangrove ecosystem of Sri Lanka as a food and livelihood system.Personal Authors: Liyanage, S.Author Affiliation: Department of Wildlife Conservation, Colombo, Sri Lanka.Editors: Gunasena, H. P. M., Kotagama, H. B., Wickramasuriya, H. V. A.Document Title: Coastal resource management in Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the Workshop held on August 6, 1999, New Delhi, IndiaAbstract:
This paper discusses the management potential for mangrove ecosystem of Sri Lanka as food and livelihood system since it provides forest products including timber, fuelwood and non-wood forests products, fishery resources, and lagoon fishery. It is emphasized that lagoon fishery, traditional use of Kirala, and Keran Koku as food is now being used. The utilization of thousand hectares of marshy lands, the emerging silver-fishery system, and crab farming provide employment opportunities.Publisher: International Development Research Centre Regional Office (South Asia)About CAB Abstracts CAB Abstracts is a unique and informative resource covering everything from Agriculture to Entomology to Public Health. In April 2006 we published our 5 millionth abstract, making it the largest and most comprehensive abstracts database in its field. Your search for ‘echo system of srilanka’ has pulled up numerous records and resources from the CAB Abstracts database. At this time, your institution does not subscribe to CAB Direct so you cannot access them. To find out more about this exciting resource, and how to subscribe, please click here.

Heritance hotels have pioneered eco tourism in Sri Lanka. Geoffrey Bawa’s visionary architectural design has ensured that no lights are required anywhere in the hotel during daytime. All spaces are designed to receive an adequate amount of natural light. As a result of something as simple as the allowance for lighting, the hotel makes a substantial saving in the energy that is consumed. The hotel was built between two rock formations and none of the trees on the location were destroyed. The entire hotel is built on a raised platform allowing water to flow under the hotel. It also allows the free flow of animals under the hotel, creating a minimum impact on the eco system. Other state-of-the-art methods are utilized in every aspect of the hotel to ensure efficient use of energy and resources such as water. The hotel has a comprehensive energy conservation policy with power cut-off switches, energy efficient lighting (CFL bulbs), photo active garden lights and solar power hot water systems. The hotel has a comprehensive water conservation policy where no surface water is utilized. Water is obtained from 150-200 foot deep tube wells and a maze of gutters that collect rainwater. The property embraces a philosophy of sustainable development that encompasses the following areas: •Energy efficiency, conservation and management •Reduction of freshwater consumption •Waste water management •Minimization of waste, reuse and recycling •Air quality protection and noise control •Land use planning •Social and cultural development •Ecosystem conservation
The ancient lake and virgin rainforest next to the hotel remain in their pristine natural state, unpolluted by the presence of a large five star hotel. Not a piece of paper or polythene is allowed to escape from the hotel into its surroundings. All the waste water of the hotel is painstakingly recycled by a state-of-the art facility. Smoking is not encouraged. The conservation and recycling processes of the hotel are also designed to assist the social and economic growth of the villagers who live close to the hotel. The Heritance Kandalama is uniquely located within the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka, adjacent to an ancient man-made lake which is more than 2,000 years old. The hotel is committed to conserving and protecting this unique natural and cultural environment for the benefit of posterity. In order to prevent deforestation and the construction of artificial structures the hotel has purchased an additional 180 acres of virgin rain forest around the property. This forest functions as a private sanctuary, untainted by human touch. Sri Lanka has particularly strict laws to protect the environment and wildlife. We are proud to say that the Heritance Kandalama not only complies fully with these laws, but we also goes well beyond them; we take pleasure in our conservation work. We also respect the social and cultural sensitivities of the neighbouring communities, while assisting them economically. We purchase local products and services, and involve these communities in our environmental conservation work.

Five out of seven species of endangered sea turtles nest in Sri Lanka including Critically endangered Leatherback turtles and Hawksbill turtles. Destruction of the coastal ecosystems by coastal communities is a substantial problem in Sri Lanka. Coastal communities have to depend on their surrounding natural resources for survival. As a result, very important coastal habitats and coastal fauna such as the coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangroves, marine turtles and other coastal vegetation are under serious threat of extinction.
The Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) established in 1993 with the aim of protecting marine turtle conservation realized the chain connection between the coastal communities and coastal resources, which heavily depend on each other. As a solution, TCP has developed an innovative concept which is referred as the ‘Community Based Ecosystem Conservation Approach’ (CBECA) to address the problems described.
Community of Rekawa (a small fishing village located in southern Sri Lanka), was heavily exploiting marine and coastal resources due to poverty and lack of awareness. TCP has implemented an innovative concept which is referred as the ‘Community Based Ecosystem Conservation Approach’ (CBECA) in the conservation of marine and coastal resources and poverty alleviation, a multi-pronged approach with seven main components: 1). community livelihood development, 2). community infrastructure development, 3). environmental restoration and management, 4). community awareness/capacity development, 5). partnership building/networking, 6). knowledge management & sharing (Current & traditional knowledge), 7). utilization of local culture.
TCP has improved the socioeconomic conditions and well being of the community through ‘Community Based Ecosystem Conservation Approach’ (CBECA). There, TCP implemented various community based projects at the same time, through different CBOs.
TCP has formed CBOs such as community Batik group, Fish breeding group, sewing, coir mat, bee keeping, agro farming etc and provided alternative livelihood development skills training for these CBO members. TCP also provided the equipment and initial stocks of material/raw material. Further, initial capital needs were met through the revolving fund scheme. TCP has implemented infrastructure development programs such as renovation of rural roads in order to facilitate local tourism and other businesses.
In addition, TCP has established a public library, public bus halting places and drinking water facilities. Further, TCP has also implemented community skills development programs such as primary school programs, computer classes, free English language classes, swimming training and disaster preparedness training. Children’s clubs were established in order to involve children in the coastal eco-system conservation and management process, providing them with necessary awareness through various educational programs. TCP has also implemented community health programs such as, medical clinics, free herbal drinks for school children, community welfare services and first aid training.
The TCP developed multiple partnerships in order to make the project a success. TCP facilitated networking of CBOs into an umbrella organization/consortium of CBOs. Later this was linked to relevant government institutions, local business organizations, and international organizations such as the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), UN Volunteer Program, SCOTIA- USAID, UNDP GEF SGP, MercyCorps, etc. for necessary training, business links, marketing opportunities etc. Eg. SCOTIA-USAID helped the community Batik Group, by financing a production facility in Rekawa. Mercy Corps helped both the Batik and Coir Groups by financing for kiosks at 10 large hotels in Tangalle, to display and sell community products. The Wildlife Conservation Department has been invited and involved in the project to enforce the law and also to declare the Rakawa beach as Sri Lanka’s first Marine Turtle Sanctuary.
Kapurusinghe, T., Ekanayake, L., Rathnakumara, S. and Saman, M.M.Turtle Conservation Project (TCP), Sri Lanka

Beaches, Spits and Dunes
Much of the coastline of the island consists of sandy beaches. The soil is loose and sandy and doesn 't retain much water. The plants have deep feeding tap roots which have high osmotic pressure. Plants species are Ipomoes pescaprae, Spinifex littoreus and adapted to store water and minimize transpiration.