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International Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation Day 2023 Background Mangrove is the only tree that grows in saltwater. Mangrove forest is a rare but spectacular and prolific ecosystem, which is usually found along sheltered coastlines in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Globally, mangrove…

Commemoration of International Biodiversity Day – 2023 Ministry of Environment Sri Lanka The Earth Summit held in 1992 at the Rio de Janeiro, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was ratified with the objectives of Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Utilization and sharing its benefit…

The genus Miniopterus is a monophyletic assemblage of many species characterized by remarkably conservative morphology. The number of recognized species has more than doubled over the last two decades, mainly with newly recognized Afrotropical and Malagasy species. A molecular phylogenetic analysis…

Worker ants in a selected region of the Rilagala Forest Reserve, which is situated in Nuwara-Eliya District, Sri Lanka were surveyed for the first time on 26 July, 2019. Ants were collected from two localities by employing 100 m transects. Honey baiting, soil sifting and pitfall trapping were…

Ricefishes of the genus Oryzias occur commonly in the fresh and brackish waters in coastal lowlands ranging from India across Southeast Asia and on to Japan. Among the three species of Oryzias recorded from peninsular India, two widespread species, O. carnaticus and O. dancena, have previously been…

Bats perform critical ecosystem functions, including the pollination, seed dispersal, and regulation of invertebrate populations. Yet, bat populations are declining worldwide primarily due to habitat loss and other anthropogenic stressors. Thus, studies on bat ecology, particularly on environmental…

Introduction: The Red List is one of the best indicators of the health of a species as it is an assessment that takes into consideration most of the internal and external factors that influence the long-term survival of the species being assessed. It is a very useful tool that provides the basis for…

Biodiversity is an asset of tremendous value both locally and globally. It is essential that this precious diversity of flora and fauna are preserved for future generations. The National Red List 2020 – Conservation Status of the Flora of Sri Lanka, calls upon our urgent attention to protect native…

Alien invasive species are considered a serious threat to biodiversity, and all nations are gearing towards minimizing their impacts. Early detection and rapid response are identified as one of the most effective methods for minimizing their detrimental impacts. The present study reports the…

The researches are delightned to present the results of their field survey in Sri Lanka and describe ten new species of Sericini: Selaserica fabriziae sp. nov., Sel. sororinitida sp. nov., Neoserica pophami sp. nov., Maladera haniel sp. nov., M. kishi sp. nov., M. windy sp. nov., M. karunaratnae sp…