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NASA satellite view of Sri Lanka revealing sparser areas of forest to the north and east of the island. Deforestation is one of the most serious environmental issues in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's current forest cover as of 2017 was 29.7%. [1] In the 1920s, the island had a 49 percent forest cover but by 2005 this had fallen by approximately 26 percent.
9.0% [5] of Sri Lanka's forests are classified as primary forest (the most biodiverse form of forest and the biggest carbon sinks on Earth). Sri Lanka's forests contain 61 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass (in 2010 [5]). Between 1990 and 2005 alone, Sri Lanka lost 17.7% of its forest cover. [2]
Sri Lanka is known to be home to 794 species of Hemipterans. Detailed work of Sri Lankan hemipterans are recorded in the book Catalogue of Hemiptera of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka comprises 74 species in 46 genera and 6 families of aphids within the order Hemiptera. 2 endemic aphid species are found on Sri Lanka
The following list provides the 704 species of common trees and shrubs of flora of Sri Lanka under 95 families. The list is according to A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka, by Mark Ashton, Savitri Gunatilleke, Neela de Zoysa, M.D. Dassanayake, Nimal Gunatilleke and Siril Wijesundera. [1]
Sri Lanka's central and southern parts are home to montane forests, sub-montane forests and to lowland rainforests. In contrast, sparse forests, mangroves, riverine dry forests and monsoon forests are located in the dry zone. These forest covers in Sri Lanka have been greatly reduced by legal and illegal forest clearing. [3]
Plant diversity and endemism in Sri Lanka are quite high. Of 3,210 flowering plants belonging to 1,052 genera, 916 species and 18 genera are endemic. [3] All but one of Sri Lanka's more than 55 dipterocarp (Sinhalese "Hora") are found nowhere else in the world. Sri Lanka's amphibian diversity is only becoming known now.
The Indian and Sri Lankan populations of C. fenestratum are probably the most disturbed and severely affected. Over a 75 year period (three generations for this species), the plant population has been reduced by 80% due to indiscriminate gathering by local people. Hardly any mature plants are left in the wild. [1]
Its mission is to protect and expand Sri Lanka's forests and woodlands. [2] The head of the department is the Conservator General, Dr. K.M.A.Bandara. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resource Conservation.