Conservation Value of Forest Plantations: A Study of Four Timber Species in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This paper assesses the potential of forest plantations in Sri Lanka consisting of teak, mahogany and two species of eucalyptus, to facilitate the conservation of biodiversity using two taxonomic groups, the plants and birds. Their diversity in plantations at a harvestable age were compared with that of a natural forest. Enumerations of plants and dbh/height measurements were conducted in quadrates, while avifauna was recorded along transects. Results show that plantation forests supported a reasonably rich community of both plants and birds, including natives and endemics. A large proportion of species were common to both plantations and natural forests indicating that plantations hold a subset of forest species. The presence of plants of various height and girth classes together with the high diversity and evenness values indicate that, although timber plantations are initially established as mono-cultivations, they facilitate the colonization of additional species. These findings thus demonstrate that forest plantations could make a significant contribution towards biodiversity conservation.