A survey of the habitats and some characteristics of the Uda Walawe national park

Abstract

The habitat types within t;"0. 'do "'a1,,1\"8 :':ntional r'ark "rere identified and surveyed lJ~)ing a co!~lhination of [{emote Sensing techniques and {'Tound studies, in an effort to compile the baseline 'Ln:formaL >llthat is essential for the formulation of :"~;'lJ1agementguidelines. Aerial Fhotographs were the majo1'iemote Sensing tool utilized in th~s studv,1 and prover! to be the "most feasible means of detecting and :l;onitaringdistribution of and changes in, Land uselrJecet~)tio:l cover categor~es. Satellite Imag~ry "Was utilized far preliminary observations and as a near ortho photo base for the ~ ,-- -~ - ~~ -- -- compilation of Lano use maps, 1')111 could not he utilized as a methodo 1ogy for 1\10nitorinr' t B:1Ipor~\ 1 changes becs,use of th e inability to map 1)O1I11:)31'iesOil s11ch images. 13 Land usellabitat/\Tegetatjo1J cover cater':ories - Semi-evergreen forests, :'(1verine {'crests, Forest plantations, Scrub jungles, C;r8~~'"l;'I\:J2 with tree covet', Open Cras sl anrls, Darren 1ands, 'revi/c'" lands, Uock outcrops, Cultivations, Villa(';e~, '10<")0zones, dUO , Others' - were identified usil1{'.""('1'1,\ 1 "hotof;Tnphic Interpretations. 2 Lanrl use maps on a scale of 1 :100,000 which WOJ'e compiled from Aerial f'hotographic Interpretations, indicate that a. ten'poral shift m.,ray froln natural high forest cover to man created grasslands and barren lands, was observed to have prevailed in the area between 1056 and 19(32. The extent of the park under forest cover 2 decreased from 85% (267 km ) 2 to 9% (28 km ) in this period while the extent of open grasslands, barren lands and eroded t 2 2 lands, increased from 1% (5 km ) to 48% (150 km ). Tlle trend vf succession in the park as suggeste.] by the interpretation of the sequence of land use i1lBl'S is from cleared land (abandoned cultivations) to {Yrasslanc1s and then to scrub. Vost of the degradation within the parle m",)'be directlv attributable to 1111:11811 impact. The grasslands or Uda ~alawe ~ave a low species r'iversit;:r. Impeiata cylindrica, FenesetulII polystC\ch\on and. CYil1bopogon~~'1u<:1u~.; pr'3r]omin <lt e. "llff',lo \vithin ~ tile ~)ark displayed a marked p,~ti:nrn of 11<:1.1Ii tC:I~, preference and favoured flood zone and 3 f';:; c-1 'in,] ':8bj tilts over scrub jungles Cind semi-evergreen jor"~,,,ts. ;~le:Jhants did not appear to displ<lY a ('i ['L "r': 1 tia1 frequency in the utilization Ol the various hal)it~Jt types. "',,"ale')uffalo in the park outnu:,lbered m,-11cs by J. J to 1. Ratios of the age classes of the buffalo population1 --- - were as follows - Adults:Sub-adults 2.8:1, 1 Sub-adul ts :Juv~nilesj 1.7:1, and Juveniles:Calves 2.4:1. I ver 500 r<1milies of perrna...YJ.ent residents live in t]!"' [,de "[81a",e Park. There is also 811 inf'lux 0:1' seasonal r::i; Lints (human! "rho utilize the exposed tank l'r~d for c1I1Livation, during the dry season.. 1'ermanen t toet tl