Biodiversity Assessment of the Opata Estate, Kahawatte Plantations PLC, Pelmadulla
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Biodiversity Assessment of the Opata Estate, Kahawatte Plantations PLC, Pelmadulla April 2012 IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sri Lanka Country Programme Survey team Mr. Sampath de A. Goonatilake (Fauna expert) Mr. Sarath Ekanayake (Flora expert) Mr. Chandana Asela (Fauna expert) Project Oversight Dr. Devaka Weerakoon Coordinated by Mr. Shamen Vidanage Mr. Bandula Withanachchi Photos Sampath de A Goonatilake © IUCN Sri Lanka Sarath Ekanayake Cover page Opata estate 2nd Upper division tea plantation i Contents Acknowledgements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii 1. Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2. Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 3. Methodology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 3.1 Site Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 3.2 Assessment Method ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 3.2.1 Overall methodological approach --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 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 ------------------------------------------------------- 5 3.2.5 Species identification, classification and nomenclature ------------------------------------------ 5 4. Results ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 4.1 The Habitats and ecological setting ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 5.1 Action for conserving soil resources ------------------------------------------------------------------ 14 5.2 Action for restoring habitat patches in pollution landscape -------------------------------------- 15 5.3 Actions for community engagements ------------------------------------------------------------------ 15 5.4 Camping, publicity, rapport building and branding -------------------------------------------------- 16 6. References ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Map 1: Opata estate and its divisions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Table 1: Habitat types and site numbers examined ----------------------------------------------------------- 4 Table 2: Summary of faunal sampling techniques ------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Table 2: Some key references used for species identification and Nomenclature ---------------------- 6 Table 3: Total number of species recorded within the Opata Estate ------------------------------------- 10 Appendix 1: Sampling sites and the Habitats ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Appendix 2: Floral checklist with respect to their Habitats -------------------------------------------------- 21 Appendix 3: Faunal checklist with respect to their Habitats ------------------------------------------------- 30 Appendix 4: Implementation plan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49 Appendix 5: List of Butterfly host plants for butterfly gardens ---------------------------------------------- 67 Appendix 6: Photo catalog of the Opata estate ----------------------------------------------------------------- 70 ii Acknowledgements Special thanks are due to Mr. Roshan Rajadurai (Director/CEO Kahawatta Plantations Ltd.), Mr. Viren Ruberu (Director, Kahawatta Plantations Ltd.), Mr. C.P. Papalie (Manager, 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. Rolly Douglas, Estate Manager Opata Estate and his Assistant Manager Mr. Nanda Kumara for providing the necessary logistical support during the field study. Finally we are very grateful to the field staff of Opata estate for the support extended during our field study. iii 1. Introduction It is widely recognized that conversion of natural habitats to agricultural landcapes is an important driver of biodiversity loss in developing countries (Sala et al., 2000). Such farm land expansion and intensification inevitably leads to loss or degradation of habitats of many naturally occuring flora and fauna due to loss of space, food resources and roosting and nesting places. Further, such land conversion also results in fragmentation of habitats restricting movement of animals that can have a direct impact on some critical plant processes such as pollination and seed dispersion. However, the fact remains that at least two-thirds of the terrestrial environment of the planet 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. The habitat quality and thereby the richness and abundance of naturally occurring species in such managed ecosystems can be improved through the implementation of a well designed management plan. 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 for their products and development of ecotourism ventures has paved the way to accrue higher economic benefits through sustainable agro-ecological practices. 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 agricultural landscapes over the last two centuries. Therefore, 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 of animals between fragmented habitat patches. Therefore, adopting sustainable management approaches to conserve these natural habitat patches as well as reduzing the impacts on natural 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, Dilmah Conservation of the MJF Group has launched an initiative to further improve the sustainable management 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), a global authority on biodiversity conservation. Under this programme IUCN will conduct rapid biodiversity appraisals of the estates managed by the MJF group to inventories their biological resources, to identify priority conservation actions and to provide recommendations for sustainable agro-ecological practices within these estates. 1 2. Objectives The present study was carried out to; 1. Document the status of the biodiversity existing within the Opata 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 seven divisions of the Opata estate. A rapid scientific assessment of biodiversity to document habitat types, higher plants, birds, mammals, fish and selected invertebrate indicator groups (butterflies and dragonflies) within the estate. Rapid evaluation of past and current environment and biodiversity