Browsing by Author "Perera, W. W. A. M. R."

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Assessment of level of public knowledge, attitude, and perception towards sustainable mangrove forest conservation: a case study from Negombo region, Sri Lanka
(Assessment of level of public knowledge, attitude, and perception towards sustainable mangrove forest conservation: a case study from Negombo region, Sri Lanka, 2023) Wickramasingha, W. S. B.; Perera, W. W. A. M. R.; Kodithuwakku, K. C.; De Silva, K. V. N. T.; Karunarathne, D. M. S. D.
Mangroves have been an essential vegetative component not only in sustaining the balance of ecosystems but also in providing significant socio-economic benefits to the local communities such as fish, timber, and tourism opportunities to the local communities. Quantifying knowledge, attitudes, and perception (KAP) supports sustainable mangrove conservation by informing conservation efforts to address local needs and priorities and monitoring interventions' effectiveness over time. Thus, this study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the public toward sustainable mangrove forest conservation in the Negombo region, Sri Lanka. Prior to data collection, a pilot study was conducted in the study area with 40 respondents and Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.819) reliability test was followed to test the reliability of the data. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with randomly selected 395 respondents living near and around the northern region of the Negombo lagoon, which involved 8 Grama Niladhari Divisions. 51.39% of the individuals were male, while the remaining 48.61% were female, reflecting a commitment to gender equality. A Likert scale and correlation analyses were implemented using SPSS version 26 software to determine the community's knowledge, attitude, and perception (1-lowest and 5-highest). The finding shows that the level of knowledge of the community on the importance of sustaining mangrove forests was high from 3.92 to 4.72, the level of attitude was between 3.2 to 4.88, and the perception components from 4.47 to 4.83. There were significant gender differences in both attitude and perception toward mangrove forest conservation, with the female respondents achieving better scores than the male respondents, although there was no significant difference in their knowledge levels. Also, about 96.2% of respondents agree that the loss of mangroves will have negative impacts on the environment and the economics of the livelihood. Furthermore, most respondents believed that chemical pollution, illegal clearing, and development activities have a significant impact on the degradation of mangroves in the area. The correlation test showed that there was a strong positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.901, p < 0.001), knowledge and perception (r = 0.795, p <0.001), and attitude and perception (r = 0.864, p < 0.001) respectively. They suggest that the most effective approach for preserving this ecosystem's survival is to engage in mangrove replanting through proper scientific monitoring, while also recommending the rectification of policy deficiencies and the execution of comprehensive strategies for mangrove conservation. The findings from this study may provide valuable information for future research, as well as assist government and stakeholders in enhancing the effectiveness of campaigns and programs focused on the sustainable management of mangrove forests.
Forecasting the next decade of mean annual rainfall based on historical rainfall data and CHIRPS data using RStudio
(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2024) Perera, W. W. A. M. R.; Weerasinghe, V. P. A.; Nawarathna, D. A. G. S. K.
Rainfall is a very crucial event that significantly influences environmental conditions. To address adverse environmental scenarios, rainfall analysis is essential. This study aims to predict annual rainfall patterns for the next 10 years across 9 rainfall stations in Sri Lanka and visualize these predictions through graphs. Daily rainfall data from 1992 - 2022 were collected from the Department of Meteorology in Colombo, Sri Lanka. And, the CHIRPS data from the Climate Hazard Centre at the University of California, Santa Barbara, were utilized as a parallel data source to ensure the accuracy of the statistical tests performed. The collected rainfall data were processed to calculate annual rainfall values for each rainfall station in Sri Lanka. Annual rainfall values for the past 30 years were statistically analyzed by undertaking simple exponential smoothing statistical tests using RStudio software and whereby line scatterplots were derived for next 10 years for each rainfall station. This simple exponential smoothing is a time series forecasting method used to predict future values based on past data. According to the results, the highest average annual rainfall increment can be expected in Ratnapura rain gauge station which is 4247 mm. Satellite-based rainfall data corroborated these findings, predicting an average annual rainfall as 3968 mm for the same rain gauge station. Conversely, the lowest average annual rainfall is expected at the Hambantota rain gauge station, indicating 839 mm/year based on rain gauge data. According to the CHIRPS database, it is 1106 mm/year. However, the methodology does not account for major climate phenomena such as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden-Julian Oscillation in the Indian ocean. This means, Sri Lanka may experience an increment in annual rainfall from 2023 to 2033 due to alterations that have already happened in climate. Hence, it is very important to be aware that responsible parties undertake necessary actions to tackle potential adverse situations in the future.
Influence of vegetation attributes on bird functional traits in a Pinus mixed forest at Yagirala forest reserve, Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2024) Gallage, C. V.; Perera, W. W. A. M. R.; Subasinghe, K.
Although many studies have examined changes to overall species composition and diversity of birds following the conversion of natural forests into forest plantations, only a few have examined changes to functional trait compositions. The present study investigated the functional trait responses to the conversion of natural forests to forest plantations by comparing the richness and abundance of functional categories of three traits: i) feeding guild (categories: carnivores, insectivores, frugivores, nectarivores, omnivores and granivores), ii) nesting habit (categories: non-cavity tree dependence nesting, tree cavity nesting, ground nesting and parasitic nesting), and iii) foraging stratum (categories: ground foraging, mid-high foraging, and canopy foraging) of a bird community in pinus mixed forest and adjacent natural forest at Yagirala Forest Reserve located in the Southern part of Kalutara district, Sri Lanka. Further, the study examined the relationships between the functional categories and vegetation attributes to explore the factors that drive functional trait responses to conversions. The richness and abundance of functional categories were estimated using the data of point count surveys conducted at pinus mixed forest, which encompasses areas undergoing natural regeneration and enrichment planting, and in the natural forest. At each point count station within the pinus mixed forest, vegetation surveys were conducted to determine the number of standing dead trees, native tree species density, number of woody debris, percentage of canopy cover, percentage of herbaceous cover and the heterogeneity of tree height and tree dbh. The functional categories in pinus mixed forest areas and the natural forest were compared using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s pairwise comparison. The relationships between bird functional categories and vegetation attributes were analyzed using linear mixed models (LMMs). According to the findings of this study, the abundance of six functional categories and the richness of three functional categories per point count station were significantly differed between the pinus mixed forest areas and natural forest (p < 0.05; one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s post hoc test). The findings further revealed significant relationships between the richness and abundance of functional categories including tree cavity dependents, frugivores, insectivores and canopy foragers with vegetation attributes such as number of standing dead trees, native tree species density, number of woody debris and percentage of canopy cover (p < 0.05; LMMs). This study emphasizes the potential of exotic forest plantations to support local bird communities by managing vegetation composition and structure effectively.