AN ASSESSMENT OF DIVERSITY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF KALAMETIYA SANCTUARY

Abstract

Kalametiya Sanctuary is situated on the southeastern coast between Tangalle and YalaNational Park. The area covered by Sanctuary including Kalametiya and Lunama lagoonsis about 712 ha. The Kalametiya Sanctuary is very important for wildlife, particularly forbirds. However, it has been largely destructed and the fishery resources of the lagoonsare also reported to be depleted. The objectives of the study are to assess the floristic andfaunistic diversity of some of the most prominent ecosystems within the Sanctuary and toassess the socio-economic status of the villagers in the neighbourhood. A managementplan has also been prepared with a view to make conservation more efficient

Selective sampling was carried out in the 3 distinct ecosystems within the Sanctuary ie.mangroves, Arid Zone forest and the coastal ecosystem. Nine 10 x \0 m plots wereestablished in each ecosystem type. In these, the no. of species, no. of individuals in eachspecies were assessed. DBH was measured in all the trees over 10 em DBH. The saplings,bushes and small sized trees were recorded in plots of 5 x 5m within the large one.Small plots I x 1 m were used to count the no. of ground flora (below 1m height). Faunain the respective ecosystems were also observed. In addition to these biological surveys, aquestionnaire survey was conducted in five Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions which areinside or at close proximity to the Sanctuary ic. Hunugama, Batata, South Hatagala,Lunama North and Lunama South. Ten families were selected from each GN Divisionwhich were selected randomly. Ecosystems were compared using floristic and faunisticcomposition and ecological indices. From the socio-economic survey the type andmagnitude of pressures to the Sanctuary from the neighbouring communities wereassessed.

In total, 72 plant species belonging to 34 families and 3301 individuals were counted inall the plots established in the Sanctuary in the Arid zone forest, mangrove forest andcoastal vegetation ecosystem. The highest important values were shown by Cassiaplnifrans, Sonnaratia caseo/aris and Pandanus foetidus for the three ecosystems.

When taken separately, the density of three ecosystems were 105900, 165300 and 59500individuals/ha respectively for arid zone, mangrove forest and coastal vegetation. Thehighest diversity of 1.13 was shown by arid zone forest. Evenness of Arid zone forestand Coastal vegetation was same. The highest dominance was shown by Coastalvegetation In the faunistic survey, 76 bird species were recorded. Questionnaire surveyshowed that the sampled villagers in and around the Kalametiya were having a lowincome, low education level and temporary occupations thus enabling adverse interactionwith the sanctuary status of Kalametiya.

Preventing poaching, encroachments and shell mining and increasing the neighboringcommunity can be recommended as probable measures to conserve the sanctuarysuccessfully.