January/Fe bruary 2008 www.srilankan.aero 66 www.srilankan.aero January/Febr uary 2008 67 2. Tree Ferns, Horton Plains National Park. Large tree erns (Cyathea crinita ) at the edge o cloud orest in Horton Plains National Park. Sri Lanka’s cloud orests harbour impressive numbers o endemic plants, and amphibian and bird species. Tese tree erns are endemic to Sri Lanka’s central highlands and the southern Western Ghats o India. 3. Bo Tree Leaves, Pelawatte. Leaves o a Bo tree ( Ficus religiosa ) at a small temple in the Colombo suburb o Pelawatte. Tis species, amously associated with the enlightenment o Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), has the greatest religious signicance amongst all o Sri Lanka’s plants. 4. Banyan, Colombo University. A large banyan ( Ficus benghalensis ) in ront o the Department o Zoology at Colombo University. 5. Ethagala Rock & Trees, Kurunegala. Moist deciduous orest grows rom cracks on the exoliated granite ace o Ethagala (Elephant Rock) in Kurunegala. Te large rock hill, rom which the name ‘Kurunegala’ is derived, has a commanding view o this ormer capital o Sri Lanka. Its orests and trees provide a habitat or animals and birds in a ast-growing urban settlement. Nature - Trees of Sri Lanka Nature - Trees of Sri Lanka For a small island, Sri Lanka is blessed with a diversity o habitats and vegetation zones. Te wet, dry, and intermediate zones all have unique and distinctive plant lie. Sri Lanka’s trees are usually conned to one o these zones, although some species are spread more widely across the island. In the wet zone, where the central highlands are located, a wide variety o trees and vegetation is based on the vertical contours of the landscape. Colombo and its environs were once dominated by lowland rainorest vegetation, while the hilly area that surrounds Hatton and Nuwara Eliya is known or its montane and cloud orests. In many cultures, trees have religious and spiritual signicance, with the Ficus species holy to Buddhists and Hindus. Represented in this photo essay is a small sample o the great variety and beauty o Sri Lanka’s trees. Te images orm an ongoing portolio o black and white images that Ian is putting together on Sri Lanka’s natural history heritage. 1. Elephants at Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo. Mahouts and their elephants rest in the shade o an unidentied tree at Viharamahadevi Park, in a leay part o Colombo. Te elephants are preparing to participate in the annual perahera (procession) o the Gangaramaya temple beside Beira Lake. Trees of Sri Lan ka Words & photography by Ian Lockwood. 1 2 3 4 5