Tree Diversity and Soil Characteristics in a Tea–Forest Interface in Southwest Sri Lanka

A study on the Endane Biodiversity Corridor in Southwest Sri Lanka reveals significant potential for carbon sequestration in restoration sites, with values ranging from 12 to 108 Mg ha−1, compared to the Sinharaja Rainforest Complex's 358 Mg ha−1. The research found that tree diversity, measured by the Shannon diversity index, was higher in scrub and woodland areas abandoned for 3 and 15 years, respectively, than in tea lands. Species richness was notably high near the Sinharaja Rainforest Complex, with an average of 14 species. Soil parameters such as total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (Av.P), exchangeable potassium (Ex.K), organic carbon (OC), and bulk density (BD) showed high spatial variability, while soil pH exhibited low variability. These findings provide critical insights for effective site-specific restoration strategies in fragmented tropical ecosystems, which can be replicated across similar contexts in tropical Asia.

Geekiyanage, N., Rathnayaka, S., Gamage, S., Sandamali, A. A. D., Nanayakkara, S., Duminda, D. M. S., Gunatilleke, S., & Gunatilleke, N. (2021). Tree Diversity and Soil Characteristics in a Tea–Forest Interface in Southwest Sri Lanka. Forests, 12(11), 1506. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111506