v9i2.242

Submitted date: 05 March 2020
Accepted date: 31 October 2020
Published date: 28 November 2020
Pp. 244–247.

The tallest canopy and the highest carbon stock for a forest stand in Sri Lanka

S.P. Ekanayake* & R.H.S.S. Fernando
*Corresponding author. E-mail: sekanayake@gmail.com

The height of the canopy of a forest has been noted as an important structural parameter in characterizing particular forest types in Sri Lanka. However, only limited studies have been carried out on the carbon stocks of different natural forest types, which is also an important structural parameter of forests. As per the scientific literature mentioned above, the tallest canopy forests are wet zone lowland rain forests in the south western part of the country. The forests are dominated by trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae and reach a maximum canopy height of 45 m. A preliminary botanical survey conducted in the hitherto unexplored Udakeeruwa forest in the eastern intermediate zone climatic zone, in Badulla district, revealed an unusually tall canopy of a natural forest patch dominated by dipterocarp trees.

Section Editor: Gbadamassi G.O. Dossa