Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 15.7.
Mismanagement of solid waste tributary in Mahaweli River (photo: Dissanayake
2012).
Adaptations
Environmental conservation
Environmental degradation is the major issue in Central Highlands of Sri
Lanka, therefore individuals, organizations, and government programs
are trying to introduce several conservation methods such as planting
vegetation, contour plowing, maintaining the soil pH, soil organisms, crop
rotation, watering the soil, salinity management, terracing, bordering from
indigenous crops, no-tilling farming methods and also home gardens. A
home garden is a piece of land around the dwelling with clear boundaries
and it has a functional relationship with its occupants related to economic,
biophysical, and social aspects (Weerakoon 2011). Kandyan home gardens
can be identifi ed in Central Highlands Sri Lanka has a valuable, diversifi ed,
and sustainable ecosystem; it exhibits the geometric relationships of trees,
light attenuation in canopy layers, multiple functions and interactions that
occur in limited areas outside natural forest with human co-relations. The
canopy stratifi cation minimizes rain drop impact and soil erosion is reported
to be negligible. This special forest management practice, primarily inherited
as family resource, and its knowledge transfer of ownership from parents
to children, means that management has retained continuity (Halladay and
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