South Asia

Overcoming Ecological Barriers to Tropical Lower Montane Forest Succession on Anthropogenic Grasslands: Synthesis and Future Prospects

Background

This review attempts to address the difficulty in restoring grasslands to secondary tropical forest through reforestation. Proposed strategies are discussed for future recruitment methods for woody vegetation.

Research Goals & Methods

This study examines work conducted in Knuckles Forest Reserve (KFR) in the lower montane tropical rainforest and grasslands of Sri Lanka.

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Differences in Seedling Survival and Growth among Tropical Rain Forest Pioneers in Relation to Canopy Openness and Herbivory.

Background

The study monitored the effect of canopy openness and herbivore damage on seedling survival and growth of 960 individuals of six pioneer tree species: Dillenia triquetra, Macaranga indica, Macaranga peltata, Schumacheria castaneifolia, Trema orientalis, and Wendlandia bicuspidata.

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Restoring working forests in human dominated landscapes of tropical South Asia: An introduction

Background

The resource issues around restoring human dominated landscapes in tropical South Asia are complex and can be divided into topics concerning forest fragmentation and restoration. This review article discusses key subjects in forest fragmentation and restoration in South Asia.

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Mangrove forests: Resilience, protection from tsunamis, and responses to global climate change

background

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Human Hydrographical Changes Interact with Propagule Predation Behaviour in Sri Lankan Mangrove Forests

Background

This article describes the relation between propagule predators and vegetation structure and environmental factors on a forest path. It also considers how human influence affects these interactions.

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Patterns of Carbon Sequestration in Forests of Western Ghats and Study of Applicability of Remote Sensing in Generating Carbon Credits through Afforestation/Reforestation

Background

Using ground-based observations coupled with satellite remote sensing, this study aims to estimate the potential of the forests of Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Western Ghats, India) to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide and to identify land which has the potential for reforestation activity under the Clean Development Mechanism.

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Carbon stock in Kolli forests, Eastern Ghats (India) with emphasis on aboveground biomass, litter, woody debris and soils

background

Carbon estimates for India’s forests are inadequate because they are largely based on secondary data. While actual carbon estimates exist in some locales, a nationwide carbon inventory is needed. This study contributes an evaluation of above- and belowground biomass and carbon stocks in the Kolli Hills of the Eastern Ghats, Tamilnadu.

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Disturbance and Tropical Pioneer Species: Patterns of Association Across Life History Stages

BAckground

The authors studied pioneer species common in the Sinharaja World Heritage Reserve in Sri Lanka to characterize differences in relation to canopy openness and type, and intensity of disturbance using a combination of field work, canopy photos, and regression models.

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Net Primary Productivity of Two Mangrove Forest Stands on the Northwestern Coast of Sri Lanka

Background

This article compares the net primary production of an estuarine mangrove stand to an island fringing stand in Dutch Bay in northwestern Sri Lanka.

Research Goals & Methods

Net above-ground primary productivity was measured by monitoring litterfall and above-ground biomass increment between 1985 and 1987.

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A review of the floral composition and distribution of mangroves in Sri Lanka

Background

The article reviews literature on the numbers and distributions of Sri Lankan mangrove species and highlights the causes of overestimation. It also attempts to provide an accurate count based on standardized fieldwork over a 4-year period along the coast between Palatupana and Puttalam, Sri Lanka. The authors name some examples of mischaracterized or misidentified species from previous studies and address the importance of clearly defining the terms for mangroves.

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