Biodiversity, Biomass and Carbon fixing:

Misconceived notions

by W.R.H. Perera

Being a Botanist-Forester-Agriculturist of a bygone era may I venture to portray some observations and and thoughts for laymen.

We as environmentalists proclaim-that water is the lifeblood of the nation. Today global warming and all its ramifications, including "hysterical climatic fluctuations could well be called the life threatener" of the nation.

Why are these comments being made? In my opinion, among the multitude of laymen-even the well-educated-there maybe some misconception in relation to trees (plants); resulting in a dangerous situation. These observations are confined to the plant kingdom. What is Biodiversity? It may be called an ecologically compatible mixture of different species - or an amalgam of plants species in an area. In the case of multi-tiered natural forests; evolved over a period of millions of years; biodiversity is extremely high.

Biodiversity has been well covered by articles written by learned scientists an environmentalists. They have enumerated the inestimable benefits of biodiversity. One of these benefits is the positive advantages against global warming-due to the part it plays in Carbon fixing.

What is Biomass? When applied to trees and other vegetation - it is the total living matter - root system - stem (trunk, branches and twigs) and above all the foliage.

Biodiversity has very high biomass - but biomass is necessarily not bio-diversity-It can be refereed to an individual tree or plant - or to an aggregate of plants of a single species or a single species-as in forestry and agricultural plantations.

What is Carbo-fixing? The ramified roots of a plant take in water and nutrients. The foliage and other matters with chlorophyll-take in Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release Oxygen during photosynthesis.

Oxygen is released to the atmosphere, while Carbon and nutrients taken by the roots build up the massive anatomy of the plant - from the tiny seedlings to the Giant Red-Woods of the Red-Wood (Sequla) Forests. Carbon is fixed in the process and life giving Oxygen released to the atmosphere. Could we say what the most important component of the anatomy of a plant is it the root system or foliage?

It should also be mentioned that Carbon fixing is not a process confined to photosynthesis and nutrient flow. Since during respiration plants take in Oxygen and give out Carbon-dioxide and produces energy.

It should be realised that Biodiversity, biomass, and Carbon fixing, though inter-related and having a great impact on the environment, are different concepts.

These comments are made since there are many misconceived notion. Recently top policy makers wanted, unwanted trees-specifically mentioning Pinus-removed from the catchment areas of reservoirs, what a folly?

There are no unwanted trees in relation to biodiversity-biomass-Carbon fixing or general amelioration of the environment.

Let me mention a catastrophic situation that was very narrowly avoided, and a hysterical, irrational environmental action, aborted in the nick of time.

The Uda-Walawe reservoir-a major irrigation project, was completed in the early 1980's. A major part of the catchment area of Uda-Walawe, is the mountainous areas between Haldummula and Belihul-Oya. Vast extents of this catchment was a denuded abandoned lands-spreading up to the rim of Horton Plains.

Many of these areas were the abandoned coffee plantations of the 19th century.

Commencing in 1967, the Forest Department clothed thousands of acres of this denuded catchment with Pinus and Eucalyptus plantations mostly Pinus.

On completion, in spite of rain the reservoir was not filling up. There was much public agitation and hysterical protest about pinus plantations.

The project manager- a charming retired engineer, and closely connected to the President J.R. Jayawardena, was a regular walker with me, at Independence Square.

He was under severe pressure for not saving the reservoir.

One morning the blurted out to me "those dam Pinus plantations are supposed to be sucking up all the water, they will have to be cleared"! I was stunned!

Mercifully within a couple of weeks it was announced that experts had discovered a massive leakage of water under the reservoir-maybe due to a geological fault or a technical constructive fault, or both.

Engineering experts were rushed from abroad, who eventually "Plugged" the leak, and the reservoir began to fill up-thereby saving the thousands of acres of forest plantation and avoiding anenvironmental catastrophe, due to irrational, hysterical conjecture. Maybe another example of ironical behaviour should be given. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the photograph or sites.

About 30 years ago, the media carried the photograph of the patana land-giving the name of the village in the Welimada area and the news item that the area was to be planted with Eucalyptus. There were howls of protest-including politicians-that Eucalyptus would dry up the streams.

Sometime back-about two years ago-the media carried the photograph of the same site, but this time carrying a eucalyptus plantation and a tractor.

The protests now were that by permitting the contractor to fell Eucalyptus the streams in the area would dry up!

(The writer is retired Conservator of Forests Former Chairman, State Timber Corporation)

The Sooty Tern:

The newest breeding resident bird in Sri Lanka

A study conducted from May to August this year, by the Ceylon Bird Club (CBC) at the Adams Bridge Islands located beyond Talaimannar on the breeding of Sea birds has found the first record of breeding of Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) in the country.

Kithsiri Gunawardena and Uditha Hettige of the CBC collected data on a random sample basis on the thousands of ground nesting sea birds using these uninhabited islands for breeding. The highlight of their study, however, was the first record of breeding of Sooty Terns in the country.

This is a sea bird which is 33-36 cm long with a 82-94 cm wingspan. The wings and deeply forked tail are long, and it has dark black upperparts and white under parts. It has black legs and bill. Juvenile Sooty Terns are scaly grey above and below. The Sooty Tern is unlikely to be confused with any tern apart from the similarly dark brown-backed but smaller Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus. It is darker-backed than that species, and has a broader white forehead and no pale neck collar. Further its white supercilium does not extend beyond the eye as in the case of the smaller Bridled Tern. Its call is a loud piercing ker-wack-a-wack or kvaark.

"We noticed some Sooty Terns among the large number of Bridle Terns and were curious as they were perched on the ground as a group away from the other birds and returned to the same location. There were nine birds perched close to each other on the ground covered with "Bimthamburu vines Ipomoea pes-carpe. Upon close examination we were thrilled to discover that one bird was sitting on an egg. As with many ground nesting birds no nest was built and the single egg was laid on the bare ground. The ground coloure of the egg, which was yet to mature, was pale buff with small dark dots all over. The egg measured 49.74 X 35.33mm. Our patience paid off when the nesting bird permitted us to get close enough to photograph her in the process of incubation. The bird periodically adjusted the position of the egg with its beak and settled on it with it's puffed up chest feathers.", the reserachers said.

Currently 441 species of birds are recorded in the country of which 236 are breeding residents with the rest being purely migrants. A number of further new migrant species is under evaluation by the Ceylon Bird Club Rarities and Records Committee (CBCRRC), and those ratified will be added to the country list of birds. With this finding the number of breeding residents in the country will go up to 237.

Many other species of rarely seen sea birds such as Saunders Tern Sterna saundersi, Bridled Terns Sterna anaethetus, and Roseate Terns Sterna dougallii as well as species such as the Large-crested Terns Thalasseus bergii velox use these uninhabited islands as communal breeding colonies due to the lack of any ground living predators such as Reptiles, Rodents or domestic animals such as Cats & Dogs. As there are only a few such islands which are uninhabited the pressure for these birds to find a suitable site to nest even in these islands is very high with many species breeding very close to each other.

The two researchers said that it was of paramount importance to conserve these islands and to ensure that they are left undisturbed as these birds may well have used these islands for centuries as their breeding grounds. " We wish to acknowledge the support given by the Sri Lanka Navy during our study and are sincerely grateful to them for taking measures to protect these last remaining breeding grounds of thousands of sea birds", they said.

"I love elephants and will not permit the capture of tuskers from the wild. This is to know the number of elephants in the country and also to implement a proper management plan to reduce the human-elephant conflict. I will not breach the law regarding this issue", releasing the first-ever National Survey on elephants Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena said.

Eco news

Katagamuwe Zone

The Katagamuwe Zone in the Yala National Park was opened early this week to facilitate visitors from Kataragama to Yala. The travel distance has been reduced by 19 kilo metres to Yala. The Katagamuwe entry point was closed for visitors for nearly three decades due to terrorist activities.

The DWLC has taken steps to renovate bungalows and improve other facilities for visitors at the Yala National park before end 2012. Here Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena, who was the chief guest, opens the entry point. DWLC Director General H. D. Ratnayake is also in the picture.

Wildlife lecture

Mahendra Siriwardhana, eminent conservation biologist and researcher in wildlife ecology and systematics, will deliver a lecture on "Exploring the faunal species diversity in Sri Lanka"

The lecture, under the auspices of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society will be held on Thursday September 15 at 6.00 p.m. The venue will be Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka (Wimalasurendra Auditorium) 120/15, Vidya Mawatha, Off Wijerama Mawatha (BMICH end), Colombo 07. It is open to the public.

Crocodile conservation

The Department of Wildlife conservation is to open the first crocodile park mainly for crocodile conservation at the Muthurajawela wildlife sanctuary. The park will shelter the crocodile species - Crocadylus porosus and Crocadylus palustris- recorded in Sri Lanka.

The main objective of the project is to make the site a transit home for unhealthy and disabled crocodiles found in various places, to make it a home for crocodiles found in conflict with humans, a breeding centre for crocodiles to establish a conservation centre and research centre are also in the pipeline

Picture of the Day

Ancient villagers in Sri Lanka had an eco-friendly living, before concrete buildings and hi-technology reached them. They preserved the charming beauty of their villages. With modernisation such villages are fast disappearing but Mee Mure, an ancient village hidden in the Knuckles Range still boasts about its breathtaking beauty.

Mee Mure nestles in the borders of Kandy and Matale Districts and shelters over 103 families who depend on agriculture. Though the villagers have embraced modern facilities, they harmoniously co-exist with nature.