SINHARAJA RAINFOREST

THE SINHARAJA FOREST IS THE ONLY

UNDISTURBED RAINFOREST IN SRI LANKA.

IT IS ABOUT 9000 HECARES IN EXTEN.

MANY OF THE PLANTS ARE VERY RARE.

OVER 60% OF THE TREE SPECIES ARE FOUND ONLY IN THE LOWLAND WET ZONE OF SRI LANKA.IF THESE SPECIES OF TREES ARE ALLOWED TO GET DESTROYED,THE WORLD WOULD LOSE THEM ALTOGETHER.

SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MUCH EFFORT IS MADE TO CONSERVE THIS RICH, VALUABLE AND FRAGILE HABITAT.

THE SINHARAJA RAINFOREST IS THE LARGEST RAINFOREST RESERVE IN SRI LANKA.IN 1840 SINHARAJA BECAME A CROWN PROPERTY.IN 1988 THE SINHARAJA WAS MADE A NATIONAL WILDERNESS AREA.IN 1989 UNESCO INCLUDED THE SINHARAJA FOREST IN THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST,AS THE FIRST HERITAGE OF SRILANKA

THE SINHARAJA FOREST IS HOME TO MANY RARE ANIMALS,BIRDS,BUTTERFLIES,

INSECTS,REPTILES AND TREES.FERNS AND MOSSES GROW WELL AS THE CLIMATE IS HUMID BECAUSE OF HEAVY RAINFALL.
VEGETATION MEANS TREES,SHRUBS,HERBS AND WOODY CLIMBERS.THE AVERAGE HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE SINHARAJA VARIES BETWEEN 35 TO 40 METRES.

SOME TREES ARE ABOVE 50 METRES.