5/5 Lasitha P. 2 years ago on Google
Sinharaja
Forest
Reserve
is
a
forest
reserve
and
a
biodiversity
hotspot
in
Sri
Lanka.
It
is
of
international
significance
and
has
been
designated
a
Biosphere
Reserve
and
World
Heritage
Site
by
UNESCO.[1]
According
to
International
Union
for
Conservation
of
Nature
(IUCN),
Sinharaja
is
the
country's
last
viable
area
of
primary
tropical
rainforest.
More
than
60%
of
the
trees
are
endemic
and
many
of
them
are
considered
rare.
50%
of
Sri
Lankan's
endemics
species
of
animals
(especially
butterfly,
amphibians,
birds,
snakes
and
fish
species).
It
is
home
to
95%
endemic
birds.
The
hilly
virgin
rainforest,
part
of
the
Sri
Lanka
lowland
rain
forests
ecoregion,
was
saved
from
the
worst
of
commercial
logging
by
its
inaccessibility,
and
was
designated
a
World
Biosphere
Reserve
in
1978
and
a
World
Heritage
Site
in
1988.
Because
of
the
dense
vegetation,
wildlife
is
not
as
easily
seen
as
at
dry-zone
national
parks
such
as
Yala.
There
are
about
3
elephants,
and
15
or
so[vague]
leopards.
The
most
common
larger
mammal
is
the
endemic
purple-faced
langur.
Birds
tend
to
move
in
mixed
feeding
flocks,
invariably
led
by
the
fearless
Sri
Lanka
Crested
Drongo
and
the
noisy
orange-billed
babbler.
Of
Sri
Lanka's
26
endemic
birds,
the
20
rainforest
species
all
occur
here,
including
the
elusive
red-faced
malkoha,
green-billed
coucal
and
Sri
Lanka
blue
magpie.
Reptiles
include
the
endemic
green
pit
viper
and
hump-nosed
vipers,
and
there
are
a
large
variety
of
amphibians,
especially
tree
frogs.
Invertebrates
include
the
endemic
common
birdwing
butterfly
and
leeches.
The
rainforest
likely
formed
during
the
Jurassic
era
(from
200
million
years
to
145
million
years
ago).
This
forest
encompasses
a
span
of
36,000
hectares
(88,960
acres/360
km²).[3]
The
reserve
is
only
21
km
(13
mi)
from
east
to
west,
and
a
maximum
of
7
km
(4.3
mi)
from
north
to
south,
but
it
is
a
treasure
trove
of
endemic
species,
including
trees,
insects,
amphibians,
reptiles,
birds,
and
mammals.
Sinharaja
forest
vegetation
density
has
been
around
240,000
plants
per
hectare,
the
most
dense
rain
forest
in
Asia.
The
reserve
is
well-integrated
with
the
local
population
who
live
in
some
dozens
of
villages
dotted
along
the
border.
The
villages
are
more
in
number
along
the
southern
border
whilst
the
presence
of
some
large
estates
along
the
northern
border
has
resulted
in
only
a
few
villages
there.
The
locals
collect
herbal
medicine,
edible
fruits,
nuts,
mushrooms,
other
non-timber
forest
products
including
bees
honey
and
a
sugary
sap
collected
from
a
local
palm
species
of
the
genus
Caryota.
The
sap
is
converted
into
jaggery,
a
local
brew
and
vinegar.
Local
people
walk
in
the
forest
to
collect
the
above
items
when
they
are
not
busy
with
their
other
agricultural
pursuits.
In
addition,
the
crystal-clear
water
coming
from
dozens
of
streams
is
the
main
water
source
for
all
people
living
around
the
reserve.
For
generations,
local
people
trekked
through
the
forest
from
south
to
north
to
make
their
annual
pilgrimage
to
the
Adams
Peak.
In
2013,
UNESCO
requested
to
halt
the
widening
of
ancient
road
linking
Lankagama
area
to
Deniyaya
along
a
1-km
jungle
patch
inside
the
protected
area
after
a
complaint
from
The
Centre
for
Environmental
and
Nature
Studies
of
Sri
Lanka.
The
construction
recommenced
on
August
10,
2020
after
prolonged
appeals
by
the
people
living
in
villages
to
the
Sri
Lankan
Government.
A
group
of
environmentalists
carried
out
a
big
social
media
campaign
and
asked
the
Sri
Lanka
Forest
Department,
the
President,
the
Ministry
of
Environment
and
the
Central
Environment
authority
to
stop
this
but
The
Government
of
Sri
Lanka
has
decided
to
go
ahead
with
it
to
improve
the
livelihood
of
poor
villagers
of
the
area
as
it
will
clear
only
0.006%
of
the
total
landmass
of
the
forest.
Mr.
Martin
Wijesinhe
is
one
of
the
most
significant
people
in
Sri
Lanka.
He
is
the
unofficial
guardian
of
the
Sinharaja.
He
has
been
protector
and
caretaker
since
the
1950s
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