The document summarizes information about the Vankalai wetland located in northern Sri Lanka. It describes the wetland's location and extent, vegetation including mangroves and scrublands that support diverse flora and fauna. The wetland provides habitat for over 120,000 waterbirds annually and was declared a Ramsar site in 2010 for its biodiversity and role as a migratory bird habitat. However, the wetland faces threats such as deforestation, waste dumping, and development activities that can harm its ecology. Conservation efforts include reforestation, waste management, and awareness programs.

1. Vankalai
Wetland
Group4
WRM
GT-2nd year

2. Group4
1. M Edison AG/GT/2012/3494
2. K Jamunakavi AG/GT/2012/3496
3. MT Dilshan AG/GT/2012/3497
4. YKS Sandaruwan AG/GT/2012/3498
5. UWU Lakmali AG/GT/2012/3499
6. AGDS Sirisena AG/GT/2012/3500
7. HMCN Herath AG/GT/2012/3501
8. AWI Chathurangi AG/GT/2012/3502
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3. CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. Reasons to name as
Ramsar wetland
3. Flora & Fauna
4. Threats
5. Preservation
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4. 1. INTRODUCTION
Location
A Coastal wetland of Semi-Natural origin
located in the Dry Zone of the North-Western
province in Mannar district
Comprising with
 Puliyanthivu island
 Tiruketiswaran
 Pallimunai
 Vankalai
Strips of land on either sides of the
causeway connecting the island of Mannar
to mainland
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5. 1. INTRODUCTION cont..
Extent
 4839 hectares
Consists of;
Arid zone thorn scrublands and
pasture
 Waterholes & Tanks
 Sand dunes
 Mangroves
 Salt marshes
 Lagoons
 Sea grass beds
 Maritime grasslands
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7. 1. INTRODUCTION cont..
The Vankalai sanctuary is an integrated nature
of;
1. Shallow wetlands
2. Terrestrial coastal habitats
Due to that, the sanctuary is;
– Highly productive
– Supporting for higher eco system
diversity
– Supporting for higher species diversity
– Provides excellent feeding for large
number of water birds
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8. 2. Reasons to name as Ramsar wetland
• In 2008, The Department of Wildlife Conservation declared
Vankalai triangle as a sanctuary as for the request of Ceylon Bird
Club(CBD)
– to protect large number of migrant water birds
a first in the area since the armed conflict erupted in the north
several decades ago.
• On the July 12th of 2010, it was declared as the 4th RAMSAR
wetland in SL
because of…
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9. 2. Reasons to name as Ramsar wetland
• The rich bio-diversity
• The historical importance of the area
• Home to more than 20,000 water birds during the migratory
season of which the sanctuary holds more than 1% of its
population
• Since the Vankalai sanctuary is located in one of the major ports
of ancient Sri Lanka known as Manthai which dates from the 6th
Century BC to 13th Century AD, it is also considered a rich
archaeological site
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11. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA
Flora
The vegetation in thorn scrub consists of two distinct strata;
1. A tree layer dominated by
• Acacia planifrons
• Salvadora persica
• Tamarindus indicus
2. A shrub layer with species such as
• Azima tetracantha
• Cassia auriculata
• Dichrostachys cinerea
• Flueggea leucopyros
Acacia planifrons
Cassia auriculata
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12. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
The shallow seasonal water holes contain
• algal species
• submerged vegetation such as Najas marina
The single perennial tank in the area is home
to floating plants such as
• Nymphaea stellate
• Nelumbo nucifera
The patches of degraded fringing mangrove in
this area are dominated by species adapted to
high-saline conditions
• Avicennia marina
Najas marina
Avicennia marina
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13. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
The shallow margins of lagoons and seasonal
water bodies are covered with patches of
salt-marsh vegetation consisting of
• Halosarcia indica
• Salicornia brachiate
• Suaeda spp
The sand dunes and sandy sea-shore
adjoining the lagoon support
• Spinifex littoreus
• Hydrophylax maritime
dominated vegetation
Suaeda spp
Spinifex
littoreus
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14. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
Fauna
• In 2003  120134 species
• Provides living habitats for
– Waterbirds
– Migrants(20,000 individuals
annually)
– 60 species of fish
– Marine turtles
– Threatened species
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15. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
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WaterBirds
• The Ceylon Bird Club has recorded 149
species of birds at Vankalai
• Vankalai has an abundant bird life
because many people cannot venture
there

16. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
Very rare migrants
• The Indian Spot-billed Duck
• The Comb Duck
• The Gadwall
• Long-toed Stint
• Eastern’ Black-tailed Godwit
The uncommon migrants
• The Peregrine Falcon
• The Common-ringed Plover
• Temminck’s Stint
• The Red-necked Phalarope
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17. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
Temminck’s Stint
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The Common-ringed Plover
The gadwall

18. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA Cont..
Marine animals
• The site’s coastal and marine ecosystems are important for
– over 60 species of fish
– marine turtles
– rare species such as Dugongs (Dugong dugon)
• These ecosystems provide important spawning and feeding
grounds for
– juvenile fish species such as Trevally (Caranx spp.)
– Snappers
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19. 3. FLORA AND FAUNA
Threatened species
• The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• Dugongs (Dugong dugon)
• Saltwater Crocodiles
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20. Threats
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21. 4. THREATS
Deforestation
• Road construction
- Newly constructed 5Km length causeway
is a threat to the wetland sanctuary
- 10Km of A14 road construction, 20Km
length of railway rack(madawachiya –
mannar ) also being as threats.
• Wood consumption
-People in this area are consuming wood
from the wetland for their fuel wood need
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22. 4. THREATS Cont..
Security forces
• Military
- Constructed high security zone in that area (thallady)
- 15Ac of land directly restricted to migration birds
• Air forces
- Newly constructed 1.5Km length runway
- Noise from aircraft
Dumping waste
• Disposal of municipal waste from mannar town, vankalai, thiruketheswaram ect.
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23. 4. THREATS Cont..
Hunting
• Small mammals, turtles , some reptiles being hunted
• This hunting for food need and to protect agricultural lands
Climate change (natural threats)
• wetland T0 ↑  organic matter decomposition rate ↓
• Due to climate change, more freshwater evaporates so that some existing
indigenous species die or leave their habitat.
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24. 5. PRESERVATION
These wetlands play an important role in nutrient cycling within the
southern Palk Bay area and are connected to the extensive coastal and
marine ecosystem complex of the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar
Reforestation
• New mangrove plants are planted both site of the causeway by forest
department of Sri Lanka.
• Some other dry zone plants also planted along A14 road
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25. 5. PRESERVATION Cont..
Waste management
• Northern province council proposed a solid waste management plant near to
thirukketheswaram to process the waste from the wetland area.
Awareness
• Instruction to area people the wetland value and it’s terrestrial ecosystem
• protect wetland organism
• We are getting many services and products from wetland, so as people we
should protect our wetland
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26. REFERENCE
• http://www.island.lk/2009/01/21/L1.pdf
• http://documents.gov.lk/Extgzt/2008/pdf/Sep/1566_3/1566_3
E.pdf
• http://www.ceylonheritage-tours.com/index.php/attractions/the-call-
of-the-wild/item/53-vankalai
• http://hotelsigiriya.com/index.php?&act=dstmst225&meta=Vank
alai-Triangle-,-Mannar-Sri-Lanka

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