Horton Plains National Park

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Horton Plains National Park
Landscape in the Horton Plains National Park
Landscape in the Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park (Sri Lanka)
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg
Coordinates: 6 ° 48 ′ 0 ″  N , 80 ° 48 ′ 0 ″  E
Location: Nuwara Eliya , Sri Lanka
Next city: Nuwara Eliya
Surface: 3,160 ha
Founding: 1969 (wildlife sanctuary)
1988 (national park)
2010 (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Address: Department of Wildlife Conservation
811A, Jayanthipura
Battaramulla
i2 i3 i6

The Horton Plains National Park is a national park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka , the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka , in which there are two other protected areas, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles Mountain Range . This hilly plateau at an altitude of 2100 to 2300 meters is known as a "super biodiversity hotspot " because of its rich biodiversity . Many of the species that exist here are endemic . The Central Highlands were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 31, 2010 .

Geophysical features

Early morning frost covered vegetation in Horton Plains National Park

The Horton Plains National Park is located on the southern plateau of the Central Highlands at an altitude of over 2000 meters, which means a cooler and windier climate than in the lowlands. The mountains Kirigalpoththa (2389 m) and Thotupola Kanda (2357 m) are in the western and northern parts, respectively. The striking summit of Adam's Peak (2243 m), also called Sri Padaya or Samanalakanda, is located west of the park. The rock comes from the Precambrian period and consists of Charnockite and granite gneiss . The ground is often reddish yellow.

The annual rainfall is little more than 2000 millimeters. Frequent cloud formation limits the duration of sunshine so that the plants have less light than in the rest of the country. The average temperature is 13 ° C, but it varies considerably during the day and can be 27 ° C during the day and 5 ° C or less at night. During the southwest monsoons between May and September, the wind sometimes reaches hurricane strength. There is a dry season from January to March. Ground frost is common in February. During the humid season there is often fog during the day.

The park is considered to be the main watershed on the island. Horton Plains are the source of three major rivers, Mahaweli, Kelani and Walawe. The plateau also feeds Belihul Oya, Agra Oya, Kiriketi Oya, Uma Oya, and Bogawantalawa Oya. Due to the high altitude, fog and clouds generate a lot of air and soil moisture. Slow-flowing waters, ponds, swamps and waterfalls are important wetlands.

history

The original Sinhala name of the area is Maha Eliya Thenna, "great open plain". 12,000 year old stone tools that can be dated back to the Balangoda culture have been found here. During the time of British rule, the region was renamed after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton , the governor of Ceylon from 1831 to 1837.

The local population rose from the plains to the mountains to dig for precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, topazes and spinels, to mine iron ore, to create an irrigation canal and to fell trees for timber. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker advised the British government to leave all mountain forests above 5000 feet untouched. A related order was issued in 1873 and prevented further trees from being felled.

Horton Plains was declared a wildlife sanctuary on December 5, 1969 and converted into a national park on March 18, 1988 because of its biodiversity. It covers an area of ​​3,160 hectares and contains the most extensive cloud forest area that still exists in Sri Lanka. On July 31, 2010, the Central Highlands, along with the Horton Plains National Park, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles Mountain Range, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

flora

The park's vegetation has two characteristic forms, namely 2000 hectares of humid grassland, called in Sinhala patana, and 1160 hectares of subtropical evergreen mountain rainforest ( Sri Lanka submontane and montane rain forests ). Almost 750 plant species from 20 plant families were counted. The trees of the forests reach a height of twenty meters and consist mainly of Calophyllum walkeri together with myrtle species such as Syzygium rotundifolium and Syzygium scerophyllum as well as laurel plants such as Ceylon cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum ceylonaicum) and Actinodaphne speciosa . The underground thicket is covered with the acanthus Strobilanthes sp. overgrown and prevents the development of a layer of herbs. Dwarf bamboo plants such as Indocalamus spp. and Ochlandra spp. can be found here. Bushes of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa mainly grow on the edges of forests and near mountain tops. Species such as Gordonia sp. and Rhododendron arboreum ssp. zeylanicum have spread from southern India and the Himalayas to Sri Lanka and are now native here. 54 tree species were counted, half of which are endemic. The trunks and branches of trees are many species of ferns, lycopods (Lycopodium) , lichen covered and orchids. The beard lichen (Usnea barbata) hangs down from the branches. Around 16 species of orchids are found only here. Other notable plants are the wintergreen Gaultheria fragrantissima , Exacum walkeri , Sundew ( Drosera indica ) and the West Indian tree fern ( Cyathea arborea ). It was not until 2007 that the lichen Anzia sp. (from the order of the Lecanorales ) discovered here.

Frequent bushfires and intensive grazing characterize the grassland flora. It is dominated by the sweet grasses Arundinella villosa and Chrysopogon zeylanicus . In low-lying areas there are swamps and watercourses with Jacobsen's water ears ( Aponogeton jacobsenii ), flooding moor rushes ( Isolepsis fluitans ) and water hoses (Utricularia sp.) The bamboo Chimonobambusa densifolia thrives along the waterfront, and in the swamp areas there are grasses such as rushes ( Juncus prismatocarpus ) , Garnotia patula var. Mutica , Eriocaulon sp. and the blue blooming bitter leaf ( Exacum trinervium ). Stiff tufts of Chrysopogon zeylanicus and Cymbopogon confertiflorus are found in moist valleys. The perennial flora includes species from genera that are common in the temperate zones, such as buttercup (Ranunculus) , ragwort (Senecio) , gentian (Gentiana) , lady's mantle (Alchemilla) and louse herb ( Pedicularis ), but also tropical species such as Eriocaulon sp. and Ipsea speciosa . The most common are boreal herbaceous plants such as types of violet ( Viola ), lobelia ( Lobelia ), shamrock ( Gaultheria ), strawberry ( Fragaria ) and plantain ( Plantago ).

There are conflicting views on how grasslands came about, whether naturally or man-made. Today it is believed that it was created on dry slopes by clear cutting and slash- and- burn , while in lower elevations it developed through moisture, frost and soil erosion .

  • Aristea ecklonii

  • Tree Rhododendron ( Rhododendron arboreum )

  • Tree growth

  • Lichen on a rock

  • Princess flower ( Tibouchina urvilleana )

fauna

The region's vertebrate fauna includes 24 species of mammals, 87 species of birds, nine species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians. In the late 1940s, the Sri Lankan elephant ( Elephas maximus maximus ) disappeared from the area. Today the largest and most frequently seen mammal is the Sambar ( Rusa unicolor ). The population is estimated at 1500 to 2000 animals, which brings the park to the limits of resilience. Other mammals are Western toque macaque ( Macaca sinica aurifrons ) Kelaart-long claws shrew ( Feroculus feroculus ), purple-faced langur ( Trachypithecus vetulus ), rusty-spotted cat ( Prionailurus rubiginosus ), Sri Lankan Leopard ( Panthera pardus kotiya ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), stripe-necked mongoose ( Herpestes vitticollis ), India Kantschil ( Moschiola indica ), Indian muntjac ( Muntiacus muntjak ) and grizzled giant squirrel ( Ratufa macroura ). The fishing cat ( Prionailurus viverrinus ) and Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra ) visit the wetlands to hunt aquatic animals. The red slender lory ( Loris tardigradus nycticeboides ) was discovered in 1937. It lives only in the highlands of Sri Lanka and is rated as one of the world's most endangered primates. In July 2010, a group of researchers from the Zoological Society of London succeeded in photographing a male specimen for the first time.

Horton Plains are one of the most important IBAs ( Important Bird Areas ) in Sri Lanka. Together with the neighboring Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, the park is home to 21 species of birds that are unique to this island. Four of them, Schmuckkitta ( Urocissa ornata ), Ceylonschnäpper ( Eumyias sordidus ) Ceylonbrillenvogel ( Zosterops ceylonensis ) and Ceylontaube ( Columba torringtonii ) is only available in Horton Plains. Other endemic species are Ceylonspornhuhn ( Galloperdix bicalcarata ), Sri Lankan Junglefowl ( Gallus lafayetii ) Goldstirn Barbet ( Megalaima flavifrons ) Ceylondrossling ( Turdoides rufescens ) Ceylonbuschsänger ( Elaphrornis palliseri ) and Ceylonpfeifdrossel ( Myophonus blighi ) that was discovered. 1868 Many birds such as the common swift ( Apus apus ) migrate in winter. Birds of prey are the snake harrier ( Spilornis cheela ), crested eagle ( Nisaetus nipalensis ), glider ( Elanus caeruleus ) and peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ). The yellow-crowned bulbul ( Pycnonotus zeylanicus ) and the mountain bronze male ( Lonchura kelaarti ) are widespread.

Sri Lanka is considered a herpetologist 's paradise worldwide . It is thought that fifteen amphibian species inhabit the Horton Plains National Park, including Microhyla zeylanica and Raman Ella palmata of the family -mouthed , zakerana greenii , Rana gracilis , and rhacophoridae as Ceylon treefrog ( Philautus microtympanum ) Philautus alto , Philautus femoral , Philautus frankenbergi and Philautus schmarda and Polypedates eques . There were Agamen as the black-lip Schön lizard ( Calotes nigrilabris ), the rhino-horned lizard ( Ceratophora stoddartii ), the Ceylon Taubagame ( Cophotis ceylanica ), the Glatt lizard Lankascincus taprobanensis , the wolf tooth Natter Aspidura trachyprocta and the Indian rats snake Ptyas mucosus observed. There are two types of fish in the park, carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), both of which have been used by humans. Horton Plains is also home to many endemic shellfish such as Caridina singhalensis and Perbrinckia species. The cold-water shrimp Caridina singhalensis is only found in waters with temperatures below 15 ° C.

Tourist attractions

World's End

Horton Plains is a popular tourist destination and generates substantial income for the state. The park can be reached via two roads (Nuwara Eliya-Ambewela-Pattipola or Haputale-Boralanda). Railway stations on the Colombo – Badulla railway line are in Ohiya, Ambewela and Pattipola, the latter being the highest in Sri Lanka at 1,891 meters.

The best-known attraction of the park is World's End , a steep slope of over 870 m, which on a clear day (early morning) allows a view to the sea in the south. Not far from there is a second cliff with a height of 270 m, Small World's End. Often clouds rise with increasing warmth, which obstruct the view of the plain.

Baker's Falls

The Baker's Falls waterfalls are another attraction. They arise from the Belihul Oya River, a tributary of the Walawe, and are about 20 meters high. They were named after the hunter and explorer Sir Samuel Baker , the founder of the city of Nuwara Eliya , which is north of the park. Slab Rock Falls is another well-known waterfall. The Samanalawewa dam is located in the south below the high plateau .

Threats and the environment

The national park is surrounded by a 1.6 km wide legally defined buffer zone. Of the reproductive plant species such as bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and Pennisetum spp. The gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a particular problem in the protected area . By 2012, 22 of the 30 hectares affected had been removed. The introduced rainbow trout may displace endemic fish, amphibian, and crustacean species. Some sambar deer died from eating trash from polyethylene , so visitors are not allowed to bring plastic bags into the park; At the entrance, the luggage is searched for PET bottles.

Horton Plains was a hunting ground for sambar deer between 1831 and 1948, the declaration of independence of Sri Lanka, elephants and wild boars were also hunted to a lesser extent. During this time lower slopes were cleared initially for coffee plantations and later for tea plantations. Potatoes were grown in the grasslands, but this was abandoned in 1977. After Horton Plains was declared a national park, these fields were converted back into meadows.

Tourism-related problems such as theft of plants, pollution from waste, fire and noise are the main tasks of environmental protection today. Gem mining, lumber felling, plant gathering for medicinal purposes, poaching and tourist traffic are other threats.

Forest dying represents a danger that was first described in 1978. In some areas, especially in the outskirts, this has overtaken almost half of the vegetation. The main reason for this is water shortage as periods of drought have become more common in recent years. Reforestation is hampered by frost, which is becoming increasingly severe. The phenomenon has affected 22 plant species, of which Calophyllum walkeri suffers the most. One study suggests that a small amount of lime causes over- acidification of the soil and that increased toxin concentrations caused by metallic trace elements such as aluminum promote plant death, as does the leaching of nutrients.

  • Information board at the entrance to the park

  • Signpost to guide visitors on the path to "World's End" / "Bakers Falls"

  • Gorse ( Ulex europaeus )

  • Bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum )

  • Rocky path with colored rocks

See also

  • the Bambarakanda waterfall on the edge of the national park deep below the high plateau, accessible from the neighboring province of Uva in the south.

Web links

Commons : Horton Plains National Park  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Central Highlands of Sri Lanka , UNESCO Area 1203 (English). Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Central Highlands of Sri Lanka World Heritage Site (English)
  3. ↑ P. Ranasinghe, G. Fernando, C. Dissanaye, M. Rupasinghe (2008): Stream sediment geochemistry of the Upper Mahaweli River Basin of Sri Lanka - Geological and environment significance. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 99: 1. doi: 10.1016 / j.gexplo.2008.02.001 .
  4. ↑ a b c International Water Management Institute (2006): Horton Plains National Park (archived website).
  5. ^ Elke Frey, Gerhard Lemmer: Sri Lanka . Nelles Verlag, Munich special edition 2012, no ISBN. P. 14
  6. ↑ a b c Horton Plains National Park , in: IUCN Directory of South Asian Protected Areas , 1990, ISBN 978-2-83170030-4 , pp. 216-219.
  7. ↑ RGU Jayalal et al .: Anzia (Lichenized Ascomycetes, Parmeliaceae) A New Record from the Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka . Proceedings of the Peradeniya University Research Sessions, Sri Lanka, 2007 12 (1): 60-61.
  8. ^ Douglas Houghton Campbell (1926). Ceylon ( http://www.archive.org/stream/outlineofplantge00camp#page/190/mode/2up/search/Horton ). An outline of plant geography. New York: Macmillan Publishers, p. 191.
  9. ↑ a b Anslem de Silva: The Diversity of Horton Plains National Park (With special reference to its herpetofauna ). Vijitha Yapa Publishers, 2007, ISBN 978-955-1266-61-5 .
  10. ^ M Sandun J. Perera: Horton Plains Slender Loris, Ceylon Mountain Slender Loris, Loris tardigradus nycticeboides Hill 1942. In: Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates Unpublished report, IUCN / SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS) and Conservation International (CI), p. 12 f.
  11. ^ Andrew Hough: Horton Plains Slender Loris pictured for first time telegraph.co.uk, July 19, 2010.
  12. ↑ Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Sri Lanka: List on birdlife.org.
  13. ↑ Anslem de Silva, KHGM (1982). Aspects of the ecology and conservation of Sri Lanka's endemic freshwater shrimp Caridina singhalensis. Biological Conservation 24 (3): 219-231. doi: 10.1016 / 0006-3207 (82) 90059-3 .
  14. ↑ Shanika Sriyananda: Wildlife picks up with end of war , in: Sunday Observer , August 30, 2009.
  15. ^ Samuel White Baker: The rifle and the hound in Ceylon ( http://www.archive.org/details/rifleandhoundin00bakegoog ). Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London
  16. ↑ State of Conservation (SOC) - Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (2012) , UNESCO report 2012 (English). Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  17. ^ Elke Frey, Gerhard Lemmer: Sri Lanka . Nelles Verlag, Munich 2012, special edition, no ISBN, p. 145.
  18. ^ Vimukthi Fernando: Horton Plains: Nature's pristine glory , in: Sunday Observer , April 21, 2002.
  19. ^ Elke Frey, Gerhard Lemmer: Sri Lanka . Nelles Verlag, Munich 2012, special edition, no ISBN. P. 15
  20. ^ Wolfgang L. Werner: Canopy dieback in the upper montane rain forests of Sri Lanka. GeoJournal 17 (2): 245. doi: 10.1007 / BF02432929 .
  21. ↑ Rohana Chandrajith, Nadeesha Koralegedara, KB Ranawana, HJ Tobschall, CB Dissanayake (2008): Major and trace elements in plants and soil in Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka: an approach to explain forest die back. Environmental Geology 57: 17. doi: 10.1007 / s00254-008-1278-0 .