Southwestern Sri Lanka rivers and streams

Streams in the Horton Plains National Park, one of the few protected areas of this ecoregion

Southwestern Sri Lanka rivers and streams is a freshwater ecoregion in Sri Lanka. The ecoregion is listed in Global 200, a list of ecoregions compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature for conservation priorities.[1] The extensive network of rivers and streams of Sri Lanka drains a total of 103 distinct natural river basins.[2] Several waterfall habitats have been formed as a result of rivers and streams flowing through high and mid elevation areas. The ecoregion spreads over 15,500 km2 in the wet zone of the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. More than a quarter of the freshwater fishes that have been discovered in Southwestern Sri Lanka rivers and streams are endemic.[3] Nine endemic genera of freshwater fishes of Western Ghats and Sri Lanka hotspot Malpulutta are found only in Sri Lanka.[4] Studies suggest that the number of species still to be discovered is quite high.[3] Until recently wetlands in Sri Lanka were used for drainage, construction sites and land fills.[5]

  1. ^ "List of Ecoregions". panda.org. World Wide Fund for Nature. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  2. ^ Kotagama, S W; C N B Bambaradeniya (2006). "An Overview of the Wetlands of Sri Lanka and their Conservation Significance". iwmi.org. Sri Lanka Wetlands Database. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  3. ^ a b "Southwestern Sri Lanka Rivers and Streams (172)". worldwildlife.org. World Wide Fund for Nature. Archived from the original on 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  4. ^ "Western Ghats and Sri Lanka". biodiversityhotspots.org. Conservation International. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  5. ^ Dassanayake, Aravinda (24 August 2008). "Wetlands of Sri Lanka". sundayobserver.lk. Sunday Observer. Retrieved 2009-04-26.