Young Biologists' Association Environment Sri Lanka
Information on Sri Lankan Environment, Bio-diversity, Eco-tourism,
and Forestry
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YOUNG BIOLOGISTS' ASSOCIATION (YBA)
aims at promoting Biology, environmental conservation and management.
Despite its relatively small size, Sri Lanka possesses a high level of bio-diversity. Details can be found in this section
Explore natural beauty of this Indian Ocean Island in our Eco-tourism pages

For more infomation on Sri Lankan Forestry and Environment check Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura web site

Read Forestry and Environmental Science research papers presented at Annual Symposium

SEARCH UNIVERSITY SITE

 

Biological diversity of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island, 65,610 km2 in area situated close to the Southeast corner of the peninsula of India. Despite its relatively small size, Sri Lanka possesses a high level of bioddiversity. A nortworthy feature of Sri Lanka's biodiversity is the remarkable high proportion of endemic species among its flora and fauna: 23% of the flowering plants and 16% of the mammals in the island are endemic. Sri Lanka has a wide range of topographic and climatic variation and this contributes to the special features of its biodiversity.

Birds of Sri Lanka - Picture Gallery
Sri Lankan Wild Fauna and Flora - Picture Gallery
Ecosystem Diversity
Threatened Plants of Sri Lanka
Checklist of Mammals of Sri Lanka
Sinharaja Forest               Sinharaja Trail Map
Endemic Birds
Newly discovered fauna from Sri Lanka
Threatened endemic amphibians of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of 25 Biodiversity hotspots in the world!

Flora - Number of species described to date in Sri Lanka

Group Number of described species Percentage endemism
Algae 866 NA
Fungi 1,920 NA
Lichens 110 35
Mosses 575 NA
Liverwoths 190 NA
Ferns and Fern allies 314 18
Gymnosperms 1 0
Angiosperms (Flowering plants) 3,350 23

Fauna - Number of species described to date in Sri Lanka

Group Number of described species Percentage endemism
Protista  (One celled animals) 40+ NA
Rotifera 140+ NA
Anthozoa (Corals) 171 NA
Annelida (Earthworms and Leeches) 18 NA
Monogenea (Flatworms) 23+ NA
Crustacea  (Prawns, crabs and allies) 400 NA
Mollusca (snails and allies) 325 NA
INSECTA    
Mayflies 18 100
Mosquitoes 139 NA
Beetles 540 23
Butterflies 242+ 6
Arachnida (Spiders) 400+ NA
Pisces - Coastal fish 400+ NA
Pisces - Freshwater fish 61 39
Amphibia (Frogs and Toads) 48 52
Reptilia (Reptiles) 162 43
Aves (Birds) 441 5
Mammalia (Mammals) 90 16

Sri Lanka: One of 25 World's Biodiversity Hot Spots

Sri Lanka has been identified by the environment activist group Conservation International (CI) as one of 25 biodiversity hot spots in the world, reported the Time weekly in its January 11 issue.

These hot spots could have maximum benefit by preservation efforts, the magazine said in a cover story titled "Heroes for the Planet: Earth Angles". The U.S.-based CI said that together with Western India, Sri Lanka, the island in the Indian ocean, accounts for 2,180 plant species that are unique to each hot spot.

Sri Lanka's tropical rain forest ecosystem is considered as an area which is disturbed by human activity, but still exceptionally rich in animal and plant species found nowhere else.

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