An Interdisciplinary Research Initiative Towards Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in Lowland Rain Forests of Sri Lanka

Ever-wet forests of SW Sri Lanka are biodiversity hot spots with a wealth of potentially useful and currently used species. Traditional peoples surrounding these forests depend on them for a variety of focds, medicinals and the like as well as for timber. Some of these forests are being preserved as storehouses of diversity that include rare endemics and wild relatives of useful plants. Other natural forests and plantations must be managed for multiple uses including timber and non-timber products used by the forest dependent villagers. Understanding the ecological, social and economic interdependence of forests and rural communities is vital for the future forestry sector development in Sri Lanka. As many of the plants used locally are characteristic of early stages of gap regeneration, timber and non-timber products are compatible uses, given sufficiently judicious management. Anthropological and biological research is now in progress to plan for multiple use management of Sri Lankan ever-wet forests.