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Restoration pathways for rain forest in southwest Sri Lanka: A review of concepts and models

Background

In the last 10 years government policy towards remaining rain forest in Sri Lanka has changed from one that promoted commercial exploitation to one of conservation, recognizing the growing importance of uplands as catchments for water production, biodiversity conservation and other downstream services. This review article discusses recent research on rain forest dynamics of southwest Sri Lanka with the objective of how this knowledge can be used for forest restoration.

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Reforestation and Regrowth in the Human Dominated Landscapes of South Asia

background

This study evaluates the drivers of reforestation and regrowth in South Asia using case studies and a meta-analysis of 24 papers.

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Mangrove Reforestation at Six Lakes

Background

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of benefits; they are used as spawning grounds for fish, have medicinal properties, and protect against flood waves. Yet, mangroves around the world are being degraded. Specifically, in 2004 in Sri Lanka a Tsunami severely damaged the countries mangrove forests. The Mangrove Reforestation at Six Lakes aims to remedy this destruction.

Open access copy available

Enrichment Planting of Dipterocarps in Logged-Over Secondary Forests: Effect of Width, Direction and Maintenance Method of Planting Line on Selected Shorea Species

background

In this study, three different planting design experiements were conducted using three Dipterocarp tree species planted in a heavily logged area of South Kalimantan. The area was logged in 1979 and used for shifting cultivation until 1988.

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Effects of fire on the recruitment of rain forest vegetation beneath Pinus caribaea plantations, Sri Lanka

Background

Groundstory fires burn forest understories and can impact advance regeneration, contributing to conversion of forests to fire-sustained grasslands or fernlands. While plantations of fire-tolerant trees have been successfully established on these sites, managing fire in the newly developing understory remains an issue of concern.

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Release from Root Competition Promotes Tree Seedling Survival and Growth Following Transplantation into Human-Induced Grasslands in Sri Lanka

background

This study evaluates the growth and survival of four native tree species planted as seedlings in grasslands situated in previously abandoned tea plantations.

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Releasing Rain Forest Succession: A Case Study in the Dicranopteris linearis Fernlands of Sri Lanka

background

This study evaluates the effectiveness of different site treatments for controlling the invasive fern Dicranopteris linearis which has arrested forest succession in areas of the Sinharaja Man and Biosphere (MAB) reserve in lowland Sri Lanka. The fernlands, which had existed in the reserve for 10-20 years before this study, are favored by forest clearance for swidden agriculture and periodic fires. 

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Role of Legumes in Release of Successionally Arrested Grasslands inthe Central Hills of Sri Lanka

Background

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Restoration of a Sri-Lankan rainforest: Using Caribbean Pine Pinus caribaea as a nurse for establishing late-successional tree species

Background

In the moist tropics, studies have demonstrated poor seedling establishment of late-successional trees on lands cleared of forest. This study examines the potential for establishing late-successional tree species that dominate the canopy of rainforest by planting within and adjacent to experimental openings that were created within a Pinus caribaea plantation.

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Ecological Significance of Crown Functional Traits Across Size Classes and Disturbance Environments in Eight Pioneer Species in a Sri Lankan Rain Forest

background

This article evaluates the tree crown characteristics of eight pioneer tree species in the Shorea-Mesua vegetation type (an aseasonal, mixed dipterocarp forest) around the Sinharaja World Heritage Forest Reserve in southwest Sri Lanka.

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The Ecophysiology of Pioneer Tree Species in Relation to their Disturbance Ecology in a Wet Lowland Rainforest, Sri Lanka

Background

This dissertation evaluates pioneers species and their response to light availability and disturbance characteristics in the Shorea-Mesua vegetation type (an aseasonal, mixed dipterocarp forest) around the Sinharaja World Heritage Forest Reserve in southwest Sri Lanka.

Open access copy available

Effect of Reforestation using Tectona grandis on Infiltration and Soil Water Retention

Background

In this study, researchers examine the effect of teak (Tectona grandis) reforestation on soil infiltration and water retention in Sri Lanka. They compare the reforested site (12 years after planting) with a corn field and an abandoned pasture dominated by Imperata cylindrica grass.

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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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REDD+ Readiness Implications for Sri Lanka in Terms of Reducing Deforestation

Background

This study constructs a historical reference level of emissions from deforestation in Sri Lanka using available forest inventory data and in situ carbon density data. It also attempts to identify drivers of deforestation in Sri Lanka and to estimate the opportunity cost and possible climate benefits of forest conservation.

Open access copy available

Variation in Canopy Structure, Light and Soil Nutrition Across Elevation of a Sri Lankan Tropical Rain Forest

Background

This study aims to examine differences in resource availability across elevation and geology in mixed dipterocarp forest by measuring light, soil nutrition and soil water availability in relation to forest structure in southwest Sri Lanka.

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Ectomycorrhizal Colonization and Seedling Growth of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae) Species in Simulated Shade Environments of a Sri Lankan Rain Forest

Background

This study examines how the degree of ectomycorrhizal (EM) colonization of potted Shorea spp. is associated with the amount and quality of daily photosynthetic photon flux density (PFD).

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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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Structural Properties of Two Types of Mangrove Stands on the Northwestern Coast of Sri Lanka

background

This article compares the structural diversity of six mangrove stands of both estuarine and island-fringing types in Puttalam lagoon and Dutch Bay in northwestern Sri Lanka.

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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.

Open access copy available

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.

Open access copy available