Department of Forestry and Environmental Science
   UNIVERSITY OF SRI JAYEWARDENPURA, SRI LANKA ../

FORESTRY AND ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM

PAST SYMPOSIA
Symposium Home
Search Papers
1995 Symposium
1996 Symposium
1997 Symposium
1998 Symposium
 
 
DEPARTMENT HOME SITE
Home Page
About Us
B.Sc Degree
M.Sc. Degre
Who's here
Links

  FORESTRY SYMPOSIUM 1996
A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF PIGMY FOREST VEGETATION OF HAKGALA NATURAL RESERVE (ELEVATION 2000 M)

R M W Rathnayake, S M Solangaarachchi and L R Jayasekera
University of Kelaniya

A quantitative study of pigmy forest vegetation was carried out in Hakgala Strict Natural Reserve.

A Representative area was selected at about 2000 m elevation. Species present in the overstorey vegetation and understorey vegetation were identified and their life forms, endemicity and medicinal importance were studied. Plots were demarcated and frequency, density and dominance of each species were estimated for overstorey vegetation, and frequency and density were studied for species of understorey vegetation.

18 species of 13 genera and eight families were recorded in the overstorey vegetation, while 61% (11 species) were endemic and 17% (3 species) were medicinally important. 41 species of 35 genera and 25 families were found in the understorey vegetation. 32% (20 species) were endemic and 12% (5 species) were medicinally important. The herb, Eupatorium riparium was the only exotic species found at this site.

The overstorey vegetation and understorey vegetation mainly consisted of trees and shrubs. Syzygium sclerophyllum, Syzygium revolutum and Hedyotis trimenii were the frequent species in the overstorey vegetation (frequencies: 73%,44% and 23% respectively), and they were also the densest and most dominant species. Syzygium sclerophyllum, Indocalamus debilis and Actonodaphne ambigua were found to be the most frequent species in the understorey vegetation (frequencies: 63%,41% and 39% respectively), while the densest species were Anotis nummularia, Blumeaa hieracifolia and Syzygium sclerophyllum.

Understorey vegetation was floristically richer than that of overstorey vegetation. 43 species were recorded in the survey and 16 species were found in both vegetations. Most frequent species were endemic.

Past Symposia:   1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science,
University of Sri Jayewardenepura,Sri Lanka. 1999. All rights reserved.