Browsing by Author "Cooray, P.L.I.G.M."

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    Is the Future of Mangroves in Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve Secured? A Community Based Study
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Cooray, P.L.I.G.M.; Edison, M.; Ambegala, D.D.
    Vidattaltivu is a coastal region and composed of four adjacent grama-niladhari divisions with a close knit community of about 600 families. It is located in Manthai West divisional secretariat division of Mannar District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Vidattaltivu has been declared as Vidattaltivu nature reserve since 2016, because of its luxurious but highly vulnerable mangrove ecosystem. Regardless, the mangrove vegetation in Vidattaltivu is still at a great risk mainly due to destruction and illegal felling of mangroves, pollution and inadequacy of management and conservation interventions.This study was aimed at understanding the community’s awareness, knowledge and perception on mangroves in Vidattaltivu and emphasizing the importance of the community involvement and participation in order to protect this valuable ecosystem for future. Questionnaire survey method was employed and a pre-tested questionnaire was distributed among 100 respondents in Vidattaltivu. The findings suggest that majority of respondents (77.86%) are having a higher degree of knowledge and awareness on mangroves but are not willing (89.00%) to take the prime responsibility to protect the ecosystem. This type of negative behavior of locals is typically encouraged by neglecting of sociological & socioeconomic factors and ignoring of suggestions & needs of local communities in planning and implementation stages of protected area management. Apart from that, the exclusion of ownership of the mangroves from local communities might have lessened their commitment towards conservation of this ecosystem. Nevertheless, the respondents showed a higher level of readiness and capacity (86.25%) towards community participation in mangrove management, which can be utilized productively in future if they are encouraged and empowered properly.
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    Potential of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Derived from Multispectral Optical Satellite Imagery to Estimate Stand Basal Area and Biomass of Mangroves
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Cooray, P.L.I.G.M.; Jayawardana, D.T.
    Normalized Difference Vegetation Index is one of the frequently employed vegetation index in research which utilizes the information extracts from optical satellite images and often shows significant relationships with many forest structural attributes. The present study was conducted at mangrove forest located in Vidattaltivu nature reserve, Mannar, Sri Lanka to evaluate the suitability of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index to estimate and map vegetation structural attributes of mangroves. A total of forty quadrats (100 m2) were placed at different distances from the seaward side. Diameter at breast height was measured in trees in each quadrat and stand basal area was calculated. Aboveground and below-ground tree biomasses were estimated using already available common allometric equations for mangroves. Multi-spectral image of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager was obtained and the image was radiometrically corrected. Subsequently, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was computed and regression models were developed. Best fit models were selected to estimate and map stand basal area, aboveground biomass and below-ground biomass of mangroves. Field sampling method resulted average values of 22.25±9.06 m2 ha-1, 205.18±98.66 t ha-1 and 86.54±39.26 t ha1 while remote sensing method generated average values of 22.64±3.75 m2 ha-1, 197.46±37.81 t ha-1 and 85.54±14.99 t ha-1 for stand basal area, above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass respectively. Maps generated through remote sensing method manifested their potential in interpreting mangrove structural attributes effectively and efficiently with respect to field based techniques where the sampling process is rather a difficult task with relatively high time and monetary demands.