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Biodiversity Assessment of the Rilhena Estate, Kahawatte Plantations PLC, Pelmadulla

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Biodiversity Assessment of the Rilhena Estate, Kahawatte Plantations PLC, Pelmadulla Biodiversity Assessment of the Rilhena Estate, Kahawatte Plantations PLC, Pelmadulla August 2011 IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sri Lanka Country Programme Survey team Mr. Sampath de A. Goonatilake Dr. Devaka Weerakoon Mr. Sarath Ekanayake Mr. Chandana Asela Coordinated by Mr. Shamen Vidanage Mr. Bandula Withanachchi Photos Sampath de A Goonatilake © IUCN Sri Lanka i Contents Acknowledgements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii 1. Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2. Objectives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 3. Methodology ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 3.1 Site Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 3.2 Assessment Method-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 3.2.1 Overall methodological approach ---------------------------------------------------------------------3 3.2.2 Selection of sampling sites and sampling frequency----------------------------------------------4 3.2.3 Methodology adopted for the Floral Survey ---------------------------------------------------------4 3.2.4 Methodology adopted for the Faunal Survey------------------------------------------------------- 4 3.2.5 Species identification, classification and nomenclature ------------------------------------------5 4. Results ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 4.1 The Habitats -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 4.2 The Species -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 4.2.1 Flora------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 4.2.2 Fauna ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 4.3 Community based forest uses----------------------------------------------------------------------------11 4.4 Threats to the biodiversity -------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 5. Recommendations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 5.1 Establishment of environment management committee -----------------------------------------12 5.2 Environmental education and awareness ------------------------------------------------------------12 5.3 Greening of routine processes --------------------------------------------------------------------------12 5.4 Ecotourism-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 5.5 Species management -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 5.6 Habitat management ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 5.7 Soil and water conservation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 5.8 Eco friendly community based small industries ------------------------------------------------------13 5.9 Campaigning, publicity, rapport building and branding---------------------------------------------13 6. References ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 Map 1: Rilhena estate and its divisions -----------------------------------------------------------------------------3 Table 1: Summary of faunal sampling techniques -------------------------------------------------------------5 Table 2: Some key references used for species identification and Nomenclature ----------------------5 Table 3: Total number of species recorded within the Rilhena Estate -----------------------------------10 Appendix 1: Sampling sites and the Habitats -------------------------------------------------------------------16 Appendix 2: Floral checklist with respect to their Habitats--------------------------------------------------18 Appendix 3: Faunal checklist with respect to their Habitats -------------------------------------------------37 Appendix 4: Implementation plan-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------65 Appendix 5: List of Butterfly host plants for butterfly gardens ----------------------------------------------67 Appendix 6: Photo catalog of the Rilhena estate---------------------------------------------------------------70 ii Acknowledgements Special thanks are due to Mr. Roshan Rajadurai (Director/CEO), Mr. Viren Ruberu (Director, Kahawatta Plantations Ltd.,) and Mr. Asanaka Abeyakoon (Environment Manager, Dilmah Conservation) for their kind cooperation and support extended to this study. We would also like to thank Mr. Uditha Tennekoon, Estate Manager Rilhena Estate and his Assistant Managers for providing the necessary logistical support during the field study. We are very thankful to Mr Kalum Manamendra-arachchi for his help in identification of amphibian species. Finally we are very grateful to the field staff of Rilhena estate for the support extended during our field study. iii 1. Introduction At least two-thirds of the terrestrial environment of the planet earth consists of managed ecosystems such as agricultural systems, plantation forests and human settlements (McNeely, 1995, Bambaradeniya et al., 2003). Therefore, the value of such managed ecosystems for conservation of biodiversity cannot be overlooked. However, the habitat quality and subsequently the richness and abundance of naturally occurring species in such managed ecosystems can be further improved through planned management. This will not only help biodiversity conservation but also improve the productivity of these ecosystems through stabilizing natural processes such as nutrient recycling, pollination, soil conservation and regulation of pest populations. Further, emerging new economic initiatives such as carbon trading, obtaining high end markets and ecotourism has paved the way to accrue higher economic benefits through sustainable agro-ecological practices. Therefore, in recent decades, there has been a major paradigm shift around the world, from the extractive industrial model towards ecology-based approaches variously called eco-agriculture or agroecology (Earles 2005, Scherr & Shames 2006). During the British period large extents of land in the wet zone of Sri Lanka were converted into mono- crop plantations. This trend continued even after independence. As a consequence nearly 95% of the rain forests in Sri Lanka were converted to for agricultural purposes over the last two centuries. At present almost two thirds of the land in Sri Lanka can be classified as managed ecosystems (Maddumabandara, 2000). Many of these plantations at present share boundaries with natural forests and also carry patches of natural habitats within their estates. These natural habitats at times can function as crucial refuges for the local biodiversity or critical corridors for movement between fragmented habitat patches. Therefore, adopting sustainable management approaches to conserve these natural habitat patches as well as minimize the impacts on natural forest habitats present in the boundaries of the large estate plantations have become one of the priority areas in the overall biodiversity conservation strategy of Sri Lanka. In support of this national strategic goal, the Dilmah estates under the MJF Group, has launched an initiative to further improve the sustainability of biological resources within and bordering the estates managed by the group through integration of biodiversity conservation principles into the management system of their estates. The first step of such an initiative is to develop a detailed inventory of the biological resources present within and immediately adjacent to their estates. To carry out this activity MJF group has forged a partnership with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), global authority on biodiversity conservation. Under this programme IUCN will conduct rapid biodiversity appraisals of the estates managed by the MJF group to inventorize their biological resources, to identify priority conservation actions and to provide recommendations for sustainable agro-ecological practices within these estates. In this phase, appropriate methodologies were field tested in Rilhena estate, a priority estate identified by the Dilmah Group. Based on the experience gained from the initial biodiversity assessment and its findings, IUCN will replicate these approaches in other estates identified by the Dlmah Group to provide technical support to complete the biological resource inventories of the remaining estates. 1 2. Objectives The present study was carried out to; 1. Document the status of the biodiversity existing within the Rilhena estate using rapid assessment methods. 2. Assess the past and ongoing biodiversity conservation initiatives implemented by the estate. 3. Identify the potential for building relationships with biodiversity and livelihoods of local communities. To achieve above outputs following activities were carried out within the five divisions of the Rilhena estate. A rapid scientific
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