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Geoecological Consequences of Human Impacts on Forests in Sri Lanka

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Tropical Forests in Transition

Part of the book series: Advances in Life Sciences ((ALS))

Abstract

Between 1900 and 1988 Sri Lanka’s forest cover was reduced from 70% to about 20%. Major causes were colonization schemes, increasing demand for timber, extension of agricultural land and expansion of tourism. Besides the quantitative removal of forests there has been reforestation which has led to qualitative changes in forest cover. These human impacts on the forests in Sri Lanka have caused not only a general degradation of land in the areas directly affected, but have also caused geoecological changes in distant areas. This paper presents (1) general considerations on the impact of human activity on tropical forests and the resulting geoecological consequences, as well as (2) specific information on the situation in Sri Lanka.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography, University of Augsburg, Universitätsstr. 10, D-8900, Augsburg, Germany

    Christoph Preu

  2. Department of Biogeography, University of the Saarland, D-6600, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Walter Erdelen

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  1. Christoph Preu
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  2. Walter Erdelen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute of Chemistry, Biogeochemistry Department (Mainz), Fire Ecology and Biomass Burning Research Group, c/o University of Freiburg, Bertoldstr. 17, D-7800, Freiburg, Germany

    Johann Georg Goldammer

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© 1992 Birkhäuser Verlag Basel/Switzerland

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Preu, C., Erdelen, W. (1992). Geoecological Consequences of Human Impacts on Forests in Sri Lanka. In: Goldammer, J.G. (eds) Tropical Forests in Transition. Advances in Life Sciences. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7256-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7256-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-7258-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7256-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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