Biodiversity

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Effects of carbofuran on survival and growth of Duttaphrynus melanostictus tadpoles

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

M.R. Wijesinghe, B.A.D.M.C. Jayatillake and W.D. Ratnasooriya

This study investigated the impact of a commonly used carbamate pesticide, carbofuran, on survival, growth, development and activity of larvae of the Asian Common Toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus Schneider 1999. Continuous exposure trials of 15 days were conducted using tadpoles of Gosner stages 24-25 with a commercial grade carbofuran (Curaterr […]

Diversity and microhabitats of termites in a natural and a secondary forest in Hantane hills, Kandy District

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

I.I. Hemachandra, 1,2, J.P. Edirisinghe 1, W.A.I.P. Karunaratne 1, C.V.S. Gunatilleke3

Termites (Isoptera) are the most important decomposers in tropical rain forests and are vital in maintaining nitrogen and carbon cycles. They are sensitive to disturbances, especially to forest canopy losses and hence are one of the important bioindicator taxa. The documented termite fauna of Sri […]

Effects of urea and adult palm fertilizer mixture on the survival and body wall tissues of the earthworm, Pheratima hawayana

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

O.K.C. De Silva and W.U. Chandrasekera

We carried out a laboratory experiment to find out the effects of urea and urea containing Adult Palm Mixture (APM) fertilizer on the percentage of survival and body wall tissues of one of the commonest earthworms, Pheretima hawayana.

In this experiment, twenty plastic dishes with the dimensions of 510 cm2 area […]

OBSERVATION ON FIGHTING BEHAVIOUR OF Philautus popularis MANAMENDRA-ARACHCHI AND PETHIYAGODA, 2005 (AMPHIBIA: RANIDAE: RHACOPHORINAE) AT PINWATHTHA, PANADURA.

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

There are 103 species of amphibians in Sri Lanka and 87 of them are endemic. These 103 species are presented by amphibians of 4 families: Bufonidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae (Raninae and Rhacophorinae), and Ichthyophiidae. There are 66 species of Rhacophorinae subfamily distributed in Sri Lanka, 65 of them are endemic to the island. Sub family Rhacophorinae […]

Seedling growth traits among sub-canopy tree species grown within simulated shade environments of a Sri Lankan lowland rainforest

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Tree species vary in their ability to endure shade for effective establishment and survival beneath the canopy of a rainforest. It is therefore useful to understand the nature of seedling responses to a range of contrasting amounts of shade in order to carry out forest management and forest restoration practices. To explore the variation of […]

Ecto and intestinal parasites of wild dwelling Rattus rattus in Sri Lanka

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Parasites and infectious diseases have become a major concern in conservation biology, in part because they can trigger or accelerate species or population decline. Also, in particular rodents are responsible for transmission of helminth infections to humans and domestic animals globally. Rattus rattus is a cosmopolitan species which in Sri Lanka occupies both domestic and […]

Distribution and Population Parameters of some threatened tree species in Wet zone, Sri Lanka.

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

A floristic survey was conducted to investigate the population parameters of the Critically Endangered (CR) tree species in Kanneliya and Haycock Forest Reserves. These species were identified as Critically Endangered trees according to the red list published by the IUCN and Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in 2007. The species selected for the study […]

How many endemic pteridophytes are there in Sri Lanka?

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Geographical isolation, and a wide range of climatic, elevational and soil type variation have resulted in an exceptionally high level of endemism in Sri Lanka. Fifty Pteridophytes have been supposed to be endemic to the country according to literature. However, during the last decade or two, the number of endemic Pteridophytes known has changed due […]

Influence of deterministic edaphic parameters on the floristic composition of the Waturana Swamp Forests in Sri Lanka

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

In general, there is a scarcity of information about the physicochemical environment, though tropical soils are more diverse at local and regional scales than it is recognized. The present study was conducted to examine the significance of soil physicochemical parameters in determination of floristic composition in a critically endangered seasonal fresh water swamp habitat of […]

Studies on the association of wild orchid (Dendrobium spp) with different types of agro-forestry tree species

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

Wild orchid (Dendrobium spp.) is naturally available orchid, which specially associated with the specific tree species. It gives scenic beauty to the environment and protects the bio diversity as well. Survival ability and growth performances of wild orchid vary according to the tree species. Wild orchid is highly adaptable to the Mee (Madhuca longifolia) and […]

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