Diverslly of Understorey Vegetation in Three Lowland Rain Forests in Southwest of Sri Lanka

A comparative analysis of understorey vegetation diversity and composition in three lowland rainforests—Sinharaja, Kanneliya, and Oliyagankele Forest Reserves—reveals no significant differences in Shannon diversity indices, though slight variations exist. Sinharaja and Kanneliya host the highest number of endemic species (40 each), while Oliyagankele has 36. The study identifies Euphorbiaceae as the dominant family in Sinharaja and Oliyagankele, whereas Fabaceae prevails in Kanneliya. Unique species are more abundant in Sinharaja (11) than in the other reserves. Despite similar diversity levels, compositional differences correlate with elevation and rainfall gradients, highlighting distinct ecological patterns across these UNESCO-listed sites.

Sirisena, U. L. S., & Singhakumara, B. M. P. (2013). DIVERSllY OF UNDERSTOREY VEGETATION IN THREE LOWLAND RAIN FORESTS IN SOUTHWEST OF SRI LANKA. Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v0i0.1511