This report presents an evaluation of the status of bio-diversity in the Nilmini Estate Private Ltd, Ihala Millawa, Morawaka, which is currently under the process of conversion into an organic tea production system. The estate management has applied for the organic certification from SGS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd in 2003. Accordingly, the facility has been placed under 3 year conversion audit by the SGS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. and this report is aimed at fulfilling a Minor Corrective Action Requests (CAR) suggested in the 12 month conversion audit in 30 July 2004, wherein auditors specifically pointed out the ‘lack of records on bio-diversity with respect to tree species in the organic estate’.
The method used in the bio-diversity assessment included following steps.
It should be noted here that wild patches and uncultivated areas have not been fully explored in the survey and RA has not visually observed all the fauna species reported here. Records on certain wild life species were based on evidence such as foot marks, reporting of villagers etc.
The Location and Macro Habitat
The Nilmini Estate Private Ltd. is located in Ihala Millawa village of Morawaka, Galle District in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Total extaent of the Nilmini Estate is 38.8 ha (95.8 Ac). It lines the Dellawa Forest Reserve in its northern boundary and is bordered by two perennial streams in western and eastern boundaries known as ‘Pelwadiya Dola’ and “Horiya Dola’, respectively. In the southern boundary of the estate is located the Ihala Millawa village. The topography of the land rises from the flat terrain in southern part to relatively steep area in the northern border.
Morawaka area is belonged to the south-western quarter of the wet zone of the country. Sri Lanka is a world bio-diversity hot spot and the South-western quarter is the most species rich area in the country. Besides, the specific location of the estate is in neighborhood of the Dellawa Forest Reserve, one of the few remaining patches of tropical humid wet evergreen forest (tropical rain forests) in the country. The Dellawa forest is connected to the world famous Sinharaja World Heritage site and is considered a part of the ‘Sinharaja Adaviya (Range)’ before it was fragmented in to few patches due to human intervention. Hence, the Nilmini Estate is located in an ecological zone which is endowed with one of the richest bio-diversity regimes not only in Sri Lanka but in the world as well.
Present Land Use and Evolution of the Current Bio-diversity Regime
The present land use of the estate is consisted of about 16 ha (40 acs) of vegetative tea cultivation which led to fragmentation of natural forest vegetation in the land in to few patches of natural vegetation. These forest patches covers a total area of about …. ha. In addition, a small part (…. ha) of the land is covered with open wetland too. These are the main components of present land use in the estate and rest of the land is allocated for buildings (bungalows, organic tea factory, labor quarters etc.), roads and other infrastructure needs.
Evidence indicates that the estate had undergone various changes in land use during the recent history which gave rise to the present bio-diversity regime in the land. Historically, this land was covered with rich natural vegetation in the area that had scarcely been disturbed by human interventions. Villagers from the surrounding areas later disturbed the natural vegetation for ‘chena’ cultivation. According to the documentary evidence, the land was first surveyed in 1935. The first major commercial land use in the estate was a rubber plantation started in 1930. Around 1968, rubber was replaced with a ‘vegetative’ tea cultivation which has been expanded in to around 16 ha (40 acs) of land. Despite these commercial involvements, a significant area which had earlier been disturbed for chena cultivation has grown in to forest vegetation with large tree species, again, thus helping to conserve and maintain a substantial bio-diversity regime inside the estate premises. In addition, some disturbed patches contain secondary vegetation that consists of number of shrub species with high diversity.
