SOIL PROPERTIES OF THE MORAELLA FOREST:

A COMPARISON WITH SELECTED MONTANE AND LOWLAND

RAIN FORESTS IN SRI LANKA

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K. S. Sivanesan*, W. W. M. A. B. Medawatte, M. C. M. Iqbal

Plant Biology Lab, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy

Montane forest

(>1300 m)

Sub-montane forest

(700-1300 m)

Semi-evergreen forest

(<700 m )

Rain forest (< 700 m)

INRODUCTION

To date, only two small forest

fragments are exist in the south-

west lower slope of Knuckles Range

(KR), known as Moraella and

Kosgama.

According to previous floristic studies,

Plant species 192

Plant genus 62

Endemic plants species 48%

Threaten plant species 23%

71 % of plant species are also reported from other low

land rain forest in southwest, Sri Lanka

Forest is dominated by family Dipterocapaceae

Beside floristic studies, no comprehensive edaphic study has been done on

these forests.

(Medawatte et al., 2011)

Objectives

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1. Investigate soil properties of Moraella forest

2. Comparing soil properties of Moraella forest with already available soil

data on lowland rain forest (LRF) at Sinharaja and montane rain forest

(MRF) at Knuckles (Baillie et al., 2006; Dhakal et al., 2012).

Moraella forest is located on Kukuloya stream valley in the Panwila Forest Beat

and Divisional Secretariat in Kandy District.

Study Area

Knuckles Conservation Area

Moraella

forest

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Method

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Eight transects were placed in the forest and each

transect consisted of three quadrats (20X10 m) at

20 m intervals

In these quadrats, composite soil samples were collected from

five points and soil depth is (0-5 cm).

Method

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Properties of the soil were analyzed

according to the MANUAL OF SOIL

SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS, standard

methods at Institute of Fundamental

Studies, Kandy

Result

pH EC TOC TN P Ca Mg CEC

4.20±0.12 30.31±0.74 4.74±0.18 %, 0.22±0.04 % 19±0.84 ppm 0.42±0.03 mg/g

0.31±0.02 mg/g

6.30±0.52

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DiscussionForest pH TOC TN Ca Mg P

Moraella4.20±0.1

2

4.74±0.18

%

0.22±0.04

%

0.42±0.03

mg/g

0.31±0.02

mg/g

19±0.84

ppm

Sinharaja(Baillie et al., 2006)

4.52 3.50 %, 0.12 %, 0.10 mg/g 0.16 mg/g13.05

ppm

Montane(Dhakal et al., 2012)

5.409.27 %

0.45 % 0.55 mg/g 6.70 mg/g 3.69 ppm

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COMPARE THE SOIL PROPERTIES

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

Ph TOC% TN% Ca (mg/g) Mg (mg/g) P (ppm)

Moraella

Sinharajah

Montane

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The results indicated that most of selected soil parameters ofMoraella are comparable with LRF in the Sinharaja than MRF inthe Knuckles range.

This would be a decent evidence to place Moraella forest in thelowland rain forest category as already shown by previousfloristic studies

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Forest pH TOC TN Ca Mg P

Moraella forest 4.20±0.124.74±0.18

%

0.22±0.0

4 %

0.42±0.03

mg/g

0.31±0.02

mg/g

19±0.84

ppm

Sinharaja forest 4.52 3.50 %, 0.12 %, 0.10 mg/g 0.16 mg/g13.05

ppm

Montane forest in KR 5.409.27 %

0.45 % 0.55 mg/g6.70 mg/g 3.69

ppm

Sub-montane forest in KR

?? ?

? ? ?

Semi-evergreen forest in KR

? ? ? ? ? ?

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Acknowledge

IFS staffs

THANK YOU