Another unusual feature is the lack of conifers and members of the Fagaceae, which normally play an important role in the montane forests of Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka Montane Rain Forests [IM0155] represents the montane and submontane moist forests above 1,000 m in the central massif and in the Knuckles Mountain Range to the northeast. Small mammals in Sri Lanka shows a great degree of diversity, such as rodents, shrews and bats. The Sri Lanka Lowland Rainforests ecoregion is classified in the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests ... Sri Lanka Montane Forests. They are characterized by monsoon forests and thorn scrub lands. There is a marked difference in floristic composition and physiognomy against the sub montane forests of middle elevation. Root systems of the plants are shallow because majority of the nutrients are present on the surface of the ground soil layer. Although deciduous species exist in these forests their evergreen character is maintained by a few widespread species. MIST & MOUNTAINS (7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS) DAY 1: AIRPORT – NEGOMBO On arrival in Sri Lanka, please clear immigration, collect your luggage then proceed through the customs green channel to the arrival lobby. They are dominated by the tussock grassTalawa grasslands occur in the Haldumulla area, where the topsoil is eroded and truncated to some degree.

They cover a total of 1.1% of our land area. The forests have been categorized broadly as tropical wet lowland evergreen forests (at elevations between 0-1000 m); wet sub-montane forests (at elevations between 1000-1500 m in the wet zone); wet montane forests (at elevations of 1500-2500m); tropical dry mixed evergreen forests in the dry lowlands, with riverine vegetation along river banks; tropical moist evergreen forest in the intermediate zone; thorny scrub in the arid areas; and mangrove swamps in the coastal areas, fringing the lagoons and at the river mouths. As the climate across the Knuckles Massif varies considerably, its associated landscape is equally as diverse. Many roots become buttress stems to support these trees and prevent them from falling due to the shallow root system. Montane rain forests harbours eight near-endemic mammals, and five are strict endemics. *, Wijesundara S., Silva P., Weerakoon D., Atapattu N., Gunawardena J., Manawadu L. and Gamage G. It takes its food from the air. The forests that cover it are relatively recent addition by comparison. The interior of these forests are dark and dense. Mud skipper; a fish who enjoys a walk, the Fiddler crab with one big claw, are some. The evergreen dry forests have no canopy formation and trees seldom exceed 20m in height. The ironwood tree is actually endemic to Sri Lanka, so the site is extremely important from a conservation standpoint as well. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as "laurophyll" or "lauroid". They have rain during the southwest monsoon and constitutes the lowland rain forests up to an elevation about 900 meters. Tropical montane forest The tropical montane forests of Sri Lanka occur above 1500 m in the Central Highlands and Knuckles mountains, but their best development can be seen above 1800 m, and crown the highest mountains and plateaus of Sri Lanka. Stilt and prop roots for support, pneumatopores, which are roots for breathing air and which stick out of the water to take in air, salt and to relieve excess salt are such adaptations. Poles, firewood, twigs for brush piles etc. Sri LankaThe term "clearing-house" originally referred to a financial establishment where checks and bills are exchanged among member banks so that only the net balances need to be settled in cash. There are many types of fauna of which some are adapted to this specific environment.

Isolated patches can also be found on Knuckles, Namunukula and Haputale.The hot air of the lowlands rise during the morning hours and condense creating huge clouds, which become so heavy that they result in afternoon rains. Epiphytes are those plants that hang on to a big tree, which is its host. Woody lianas form an intricate network inside the forest area. Sri Lanka Lowland Rainforests. They are also known as cloud forests. Those protected areas together accounts only 457 kmEric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. These forests are rich in quality hardwood species suitable for sawn timber and for this reason and for agricultural expansion, they have been clear-felled in the past and are now mostly restricted to protected areas.Compared with Sri Lanka’s rain forests, these forests do not have very high levels of endemism.