http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10545 2026-01-07T06:16:28Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10676 Recommendations for Co-existence of Coral Reef Conservation and Tourism at Pigeon Island National Park Perera, N.; Kotagama, S.W. Pigeon Islands National Park (PINP) is one of the three Marine National Parks in Sri Lanka with coral reefs being the major habitat protected. A study was undertaken at PINP with the objective of understanding the challenges encountered and opportunities available for managing the park addressing both coral reef conservation and increasing tourism potential. Field visits, formal and informal group discussions, expert opinions, web based information and literature surveys were the methodology utilized. Despise the impose of an entrance fee in May 2011, 146,375 tourists visited the 471 ha park within 40 month period. PINP earned LKR 37,000 ha-1 in 2013 indicating that one hectare of coral reefs can earn more revenue than larger terrestrial parks with charismatic species such as elephants. Foreign tourist arrivals had increased from 11.9% in 2011 to 25.13% by 2014. Visitor reviews indicates that their experience was either excellent (46%) or very good (30%) due to abundance of marine life, while12% had either a poor or a terrible visitor experience at the site owing to overcrowding, reef damage and high price. With only 21% of live coral cover in 2013, it is evident that the reef is being degraded, indicating that a Protected Area which emphasizes on collecting user-fee revenues can lose sight of its primary conservation objectives and is not undertaking sustainable tourism. Park management effectiveness is not at desirable level (43%), mainly due to non-implementation of a scientifically based management plan. A continuous monitoring programme to check the health of the reef is need, while the introduction of a multi-tiered user fee structures can enhance the economic reruns. Incorporating PINP into wider Seascape/landscape management through utilizing Special Area Management approach with relevant stakeholder participation needed to be promoted. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10672 A study on the Phytoremediation Potential of Azolla pinnata under laboratory conditions Mandakini, L.L.U.; Bandara, N.J.G.J.; Gunawardana, D. Heavy metal contamination in aquatic environments has become one of the major environmental problems all over the world. Phytoremediation is a plant based technology that utilises special plants known as hyperaccumulators to purify heavy metal contaminated sites. Hyperaccumulators are capable of absorbing heavy metals in greater concentrations. Azolla pinnata is an aquatic macrophyte that has been earmarked for its hyperaccumulation ability. This study was conducted under laboratory conditions to assess the ability of A. pinnata for the removal of Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb through rhizofiltration. Under three main experiments, phytoremediation ability of this species was investigated. In the first experiment, A. pinnata was exposed to prepared solutions of Cr, Ni and Pb of 2 ppm, 4 ppm, 6 ppm, 8 ppm and 10 ppm and of Cd solutions of 0.5 ppm, 1.0 ppm, 1.5 ppm, 2.0 ppm, 2.5 ppm and 3.0 ppm respectively. Experiments were carried out separately for Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb concentrations for 7 days. Presence of Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb caused a maximum inhibition of A. pinnata growth by 47%, 54%, 52% and 45% respectively while the highest removal percentages of Cr-98%, Ni-57%, Cd-88% and Pb-86% were recorded in 2 ppm, 2 ppm, 0.5 ppm and 8 ppm treatments respectively. The highest Bio-concentration Factor (BCF) for Cr was 1,376.67 when treated with 6 ppm, 684.95 at 4 ppm for Ni, 1,120.06 at 0.5 ppm for Cd and 1,332.53 at 8 ppm for Pb respectively. At the end of the experiments toxic symptoms were observed in plants exposed to Cd and Ni. The findings of this experiment revealed that A. pinnata is an excellent candidate for the removal of Pb and Cr even at higher concentrations and for Cd at lower concentrations while it is only partially efficient for Ni removal. The ability of A. pinnata to remove Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb from open dump site leachate was investigated in the experiment three. A. pinnata was exposed to a leachate dilution series of 5%, 15%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. For all four metals, the highest removal percentages as well as the highest BCFs were given by the plants exposed to 5% leachate concentration. Influence of interactive effects of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb on their removal capacities of A. pinnata and the metal selectivities were determined by the experiment two. The metal selectivity of A. pinnata was Pb> Cd> Cr> Ni. A. pinnata can be designated as a good phytoremediation tool for the mitigation of heavy metal pollution due to its high BCFs (over 1,000) in relation to Pb (2-10 ppm), Cr (2-10 ppm) and Cd (0.5-1 ppm). 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10670 Effect of pre-sowing treatments on seed germination and initial seedling growth performance of Canarium resiniferum: A native threatened tree of Bangladesh Hasnat, G.N.T.; Hossain, M.K.; Bhuyian, M.K. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z