KNUCKLES CONSERVATION FOREST

INTRODUCTION :

The Knuckles Mountain Range has an extremely uneven landscape and lies in Central Sri Lanka within the Matale and Kandy Districts. The Name  “Knuckles” was assigned by the early British surveyors due to its view; however, Sinhalese residents have traditionally referred to the area as ‘ Dumbara Kanduvetiya’ meaning  ‘Mist–laden Mountain Range’. The area lies within 7⁰  18’  –     7 ⁰ 34’ N latitude and 80⁰ 40’ – 80⁰ 54’ E longitude and covers approximately 80 square miles (21,000ha) and was declared as a Conservation Forest in 2000. The Knuckles massif is separated from the Central Highlands by a deeply incised valley referred to as the Dumbara Valley. It boasts 35 peaks  1,000m above sea level, 20 over 1,500 m, and 2 peaks over 2,000m.

The Knuckles along with Peak Wilderness Nature Reserve and Horton Plains National Park ( collectively called Central Highlands of Sri Lanka ) was declared a World Heritage Natural Site in 2009.

TOURIST ATTRACTION :

Foreign and local tourists are attracted to the incredible topography and climate conditions in the Knuckles region. And there are several interesting places where one can visit, such as Corbet’s Gap. Nitre Cave, Alugallena Cave, Meemure Village, Pitawalapathana Plains, Lakegala Peak , Theligamu – Oya stream, Mini Worlds End , Huluganga Water Falls and Ratna Ella Water Falls. Several Marvelous trails exist in that area such including; Alugallena montane forest nature trails, Knuckles Peak nature trail, and Nitre Cave Nature trail. A Campsite is located in Thangappuwa area.

HYDROLOGICAL IMPORTANCE :

The Knuckles forest region is an important watershed with several streams feeding the Mahaweli River. Heen Ganga, Maha Oya, and Hasalaka Oya in the Eastern Zone, Kaluganga and Theligamu Oya in the Northern Zone, Hulu Ganga and Galmal Oya in the Western Zone flow into the Mahaweli. The Knuckles Range feeds several large reservoirs in the country ( Victoria, Randenigala, Rantambe, Kaluganga, and Moragahakanda ).

BIOLOGICAL VALUES:

The Knuckles Range represents a vast variety of plants from bryophytes to angiosperms. A high diversity of butterflies, freshwater crabs, amphibians freshwater fishes, and reptiles can be found and some of the species are highly restricted to the area. A large number of birds also can be found. Including endemics. Many villages are reliant on the forest for raw materials such as firewood, honey, treacle, fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants to sustain livelihoods.

FLORA :

A total of 1,033 flowering plants and 288 woody plant species belonging to 141 families have been recorded from the Knuckles Range and 15% of the plant species are endemic. The herb Brachystelma Lankana occurs in Patana grassland areas and is restricted to Dumbara Range. This small plant is locally known as ‘Patan ala’ (grassland yam ) as it has an edible fleshy tuber.

FAUNA:

Knuckles Conservation Forest provides shelter to 31 mammals, 128 birds, 53 reptiles, 20 amphibians, 15 fish, 60 butterflies, and 17 mollusc species.

Wild boar, Black-naped hare, and Mouse deer are very commonly seen mammals. Attentive visitors may see Deer, Sambar, Elephant, Buffalo, Loris, Jackal, Mongoose, Macaque, Leaf Monkey, Squirrel, Civet cats, Golden palm cats, Bandicoot, and porcupines.

Of the 128 avifauna recorded, 17 species are endemic to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babbler, Sri Lanka Dull Blue Flycatcher, Sri Lanka White-eye, and Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon are some of the endemic species which can be spotted by avid bird watchers.

Tarantulas are seldom seen as they hide in crevices and tree hollows waiting for prey. Some may mistake the Blue Oakleaf for a dead leaf as it can disguise itself so well. The Sri Lanka Birdwing and Sri Lanka Tree Nymph are among the largest endemic butterflies in Sri Lanka also to be found here.

ECO SYSTEM DIVERSITY :

There are several ecosystem types in the knuckles Range. They are; Lowland Montane evergreen forests, Mid – elevation evergreen forests, Wet evergreen forests, Moist – mixed evergreen forests, Forest plantations, Upland savannas, Intermediate lower patina, Above – ground caves, Rivers, Streams, Waterfalls, and their respective spray zones.

Some of the foothills are covered with bamboo, hence the local name ‘ Batadandu Kanda’ for this particular area. Montane evergreen forest can be found in high mountain peaks such as Kalupahana and Gomaniyagala. Patana Grasslands are a very unique ecosystem due to their unique flora and fauna.

CLIMATE:

The average rainfall at Knuckles Range lies between 3,000 – 5,000 mm while the temperature ranges between 5.5⁰ and 35⁰ Celsius. The Southwest Monsoon brings rain through a gap in the mountain range. The average wind speed is 7.2kmph and humidity in the range lies between 57- 90 %.