Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve is one of the three strict nature reserves

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

, the only one in the wet zone. The reserve is an important although isolated cloud forest

Cloud forest

A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...

 which supports a number of faunal species including some endemics. The area was designated a strict nature reserve on 25 February 1938. The reserve is adjacent to and contiguous with the Hakgala Botanical Garden

Hakgala Botanical Garden

Hakgala Botanical Garden is one of the three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other two being Peradeniya Botanical Garden and Henarathgoda Botanical Garden. It is the second largest garden in Sri Lanka. The garden is contiguous to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve.-Location and climate:Hakgala...

 which was founded in 1860.

Physical features

The Hakgala reserve covers an area of 11.42 square kilometres (4.4 sq mi) the altitude of which ranges from 1650 metres (5,413.4 ft) to 2178 metres (7,145.7 ft) at the summit of Hakgala peak. The reserve receives 2400 millimetres (94.5 in) of mean annual rainfall with rain falling on 211 days of the year. The soil of the reserve consists of red-yellow podsol

Podsol

In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous, or boreal forests. They are also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia...

s this is due to the bookly. The reserve is situated on the south bank of Sita-Eliya and includes most of the Hakgala massif. The name of this range is derived from several of the peaks being said to have the shape of an elephant's jaw. In the Sinhala language Hak is jaw and Gala is rock.

Folklore

The nearby Sita Amman Hindu temple of Sita Eliya has a tradition that goes back to the legend of Ramayana

Ramayana

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...

. According to folk legends, the demon king of Lanka

Lanka

Sri Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the legendary king Ravana in the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...

, Ravana

Ravana

' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...

, kept Sita

SITA

SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...

 hidden in this area.

Flora

Vegetation of the reserve consists of montane cloud forests. These forests are noted for endemic archaic Hortonia floribunda and many orchids

Orchidaceae

The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...

. Endemics of Calophyllum walkeri

Calophyllum walkeri

Calophyllum walkeri is a species of flowering plant in the Calophyllaceae family.It is found only in Sri Lanka. It is Reddish brown with dark streaks and is a strong, durable wood. It is used for beams, rafters, posts & door frames. It weighs about 46 lbs per cubic foot. It can be found in hill...

, Syzygium rotundifolium

Syzygium rotundifolium

Syzygium rotundifolium is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....

, Elaeocarpus montanus are the common floral species of the reserve. In the undergrowth

Undergrowth

Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in a forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest. The height of undergrowth is usually considered to be 0.3 – 3 m . Undergrowth can also refer all vegetation in a forest, which isn't in the canopy....

 many Strobilanthes

Strobilanthes

Strobilanthes is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, mostly native to tropical Asia, but with a few species extending north into temperate regions of Asia.Selected species...

species are common. According to height, the forest is categorised into two types; Dwarf forests which is dominated by low growing Osbeckia buxifolia while taller forests featured by Rhododendron zeylanicum

Rhododendron arboreum

Rhododendron arboreum is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a showy display of bright red flowers. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Rhododendron arboreum is also the national flower of Nepal.-Description:Its name means "tending to be woody or growing in a...

and Actinodaphne speciosa.

Fauna

The reserve harbours many species of endemic mammals such as Purple-faced Langur

Purple-faced Langur

The purple-faced langur , or purple-faced leaf monkey, is a species of Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka.This is a long-tailed arboreal species, mainly brown with a dark facemask and paler lower face...

, Toque Macaque

Toque Macaque

The toque macaque is a reddish-brown coloured Old World monkey endemic to both Sri Lanka, where it is locally known as the 'Rilewa' or 'Rilawa'...

, Mayor's Mouse

Mayor's Mouse

Mayor's Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Sri Lanka....

, Ohiya Rat

Ohiya Rat

The Ohiya Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is the only species in the genus Srilankamys. It is found only in Sri Lanka.-References:...

, Kelaart's Long-clawed Shrew

Kelaart's Long-clawed Shrew

Kelaart's Long-clawed Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is monotypic within the genus Feroculus. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and southern India. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and swamps...

, Sri Lankan Long-tailed Shrew

Sri Lankan Long-tailed Shrew

The Sri Lankan Long-tailed Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

, and Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew

Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew

Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is monotypic within the genus Solisorex. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat...

. Some of these mammals are strict endemic to this region. Sri Lanka Leopard

Sri Lanka Leopard

The Sri Lankan leopard , colloquially known as Kotiya in Sinhala and Puli in Tamil, is a subspecies of leopard native to Sri Lanka...

, Fishing Cat

Fishing Cat

The Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted...

, Wild boar, Sri Lankan Sambar Deer

Sri lankan Sambar Deer

Sri Lankan Sambar Deer is a sub-species of Sambar Deer that lives in Sri Lanka. This subspecies is one of the largest Sambar Deer species with the largest antlers both in size and in body proportions. Large males weight up to 270-280 kg. Sri Lankan Sambar occurs in lowland dry forest, montane forest...

, Grizzled Giant Squirrel

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

The grizzled giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India...

, Red Giant Flying Squirrel

Red Giant Flying Squirrel

- Distribution :The Red Giant Flying Squirrel is a species of flying squirrel, which ranges from the eastern regions of Afghanistan, into northern India and Pakistan through to Java, and Taiwan, and also Sri Lanka. It can also be found in parts of Borneo. This species was recorded in Peninsular...

, and Pungent Pipistrelle

Pungent Pipistrelle

The Pungent Pipistrelle is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in Indonesia and possibly the Philippines.-Source:* Chiroptera Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....

 are some of the other mammals found in the reserve. Sri Lankan Elephant

Sri Lankan Elephant

The Sri Lankan Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant, and native to Sri Lanka. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...

 was reported still present in 1939.

Avifauna of the reserve exhibits high degree of variety and endemicity. Some of the noteworthy species include Mountain Hawk-eagle, Sri Lanka Junglefowl

Sri Lanka Junglefowl

The Sri Lankan Junglefowl , also known during the colonial era as the Ceylon Junglefowl, is a member of the pheasant family which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the Red Junglefowl , the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated...

, Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon

Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon

The Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon is a pigeon which is an endemic resident breeding bird in the mountains of Sri Lanka.This species nests in damp evergeen woodlands in the central highlands, building a stick nest in a tree and laying a single white egg...

, Indian Jungle Nightjar, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie or Ceylon Magpie is a member of the crow family living in the hill forests of Sri Lanka, where it is endemic....

, Yellow-eared Bulbul

Yellow-eared Bulbul

The Yellow-eared Bulbul, Pycnonotus penicillatus, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in the highlands of Sri Lanka....

, Brown-capped Babbler

Brown-capped Babbler

The Brown-capped Babbler is an Old World babbler. The Old World babblers are a large family of passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia.The Brown-capped Babbler is an endemic resident breeding bird in Sri...

, Orange-billed Babbler

Orange-billed Babbler

The Orange-billed Babbler, Turdoides rufescens, also known as Ceylon Rufous Babbler or Sri Lankan Rufous Babbler is an Old World babbler. The Old World babblers are a large family of Old World passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage...

, Dull-blue Flycatcher

Dull-blue Flycatcher

The Dull-blue Flycatcher , Eumyias sordida, is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae.This species is an endemic resident breeder in the hills of central Sri Lanka....

, Sri Lanka Bush-warbler, Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush, Spot-winged Thrush

Spot-winged Thrush

The Spot-winged Thrush, Zoothera spiloptera, is an Asian thrush, a group within the large thrush family Turdidae.It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka...

, Common Blackbird, and Sri Lanka White-eye

Sri Lanka White-eye

The Sri Lanka White-eye, Zosterops ceylonensis, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is a resident breeder in forests, gardens and plantations which is endemic to Sri Lanka, mainly in the highlands.-Description:...

. All five species of bird which are strict endemic to this ecoregion are present in the reserve. Common birds are Scarlet Minivet

Scarlet Minivet

The Scarlet Minivet, Pericrocotus flammeus is a small passerine bird. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are common resident breeding birds in forests and other well-wooded habitats including...

, Small Minivet

Small Minivet

The Small Minivet, Pericrocotus cinnamomeus is a small passerine bird. This minivet is found in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to Indonesia....

, Black Bulbul

Black Bulbul

The Black Bulbul , also known as the Himalayan Black Bulbul, Asian Black Bulbul or Square-tailed Bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in southern Asia from India east to southern China. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas...

, Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler

Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler

The Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler or Ceylon Scimitar-babbler is an Old World babbler. It is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka, and was formerly treated as a subspecies of Indian Scimitar-babbler...

, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Pied Bushchat

Pied Bushchat

The Pied Bushchat is a small passerine bird found ranging from West and Central Asia to South and Southeast Asia. About sixteen subspecies are recognized through its wide range with many island forms...

, and Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush

Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush

The Sri Lanka Thrush or Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. This bird is a non-migratory resident breeder found in south western wetlands of the island of Sri Lanka....

. Indian Pitta

Indian Pitta

The Indian Pitta is a medium-sized passerine bird. It breeds mainly in the sub-Himalayas and winters in southern India and Sri Lanka. These birds are found in thick undergrowth and are often more easily detected by their calls...

, Asian Brown Flycatcher

Asian Brown Flycatcher

The Asian Brown Flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica, is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It includes the Brown-streaked Flycatcher, which is sometimes considered a distinct species Muscicapa williamsoni....

, Kashmir Flycatcher

Kashmir Flycatcher

The Kashmir Flycatcher, Ficedula subrubra, is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. At one time it was considered to be a subspecies of the Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ficedula parva....

, Indian Blue Robin

Indian Blue Robin

The Indian Blue Robin is a small bird found in South Asia. Formerly considered a thrush, it is now considered one of the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae. It was earlier also called the Indian Blue Chat. It is migratory, breeding in the forests along the Himalayas in India and...

, Pied Thrush

Pied Thrush

The Pied Thrush is a member of the thrush family found in India and Sri Lanka. The males are conspicuously patterned in black and white while the females are olive brown and speckled. They breed in the central Himalayan forests and winter in the hill forests of southern India and Sri Lanka...

, Black-throated Munia

Black-throated Munia

The Black-throated Munia or Jerdon's Mannikin is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in the hills of southwest India, the Eastern Ghats and Sri Lanka.-Subspecies:...

, and Large-billed Leaf-warbler are amongst the large number of migratory species.

Many endemic amphibians including Adenomus kelaartii

Adenomus kelaartii

The Kelaart's Toad Adenomus kelaartii is a species of toad in the Bufonidae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is distributed to the south-west part of the island at elevations between 30 and 1,230 m....

, Polypedates cruciger

Polypedates cruciger

Polypedates cruciger is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches,...

, Philautus microtympanum

Philautus microtympanum

Philautus microtympanum is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...

, Philautus schmarda

Philautus schmarda

Philautus schmarda is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and plantations ....

, Ramanella palmata

Ramanella palmata

Ramanella palmata is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...

, and Microhyla zeylanica

Microhyla zeylanica

Microhyla zeylanica is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is endemic to Sri Lanka.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, swamps, freshwater marshes, and intermittent freshwater marches.It is threatened by...

together with Fejervarya limnocharis

Fejervarya limnocharis

The Cricket Frog is a species of frog found widely distributed in South Asia. Molecular studies of the species complex suggest that there may be multiple species involved.-Description:...

and Bronzed Frog

Bronzed Frog

The bronzed frog is a species of true frog found in the riparian evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, India and the highlands of Southwestern Sri Lanka. They are found abundantly on or close to the ground near water. Individuals are not shy and react by jumping only when provoked...

 inhabit the reserve. Notable reptiles include Uropeltis melanogaster

Uropeltis melanogaster

Gray's Earth Snake is a small snake in family Uropeltidae , native to Sri Lanka. Its length is from 10 to 27 cm. This species and its relatives are generally called "earth snakes." Many have been classified previously with a different genus name, in this case Silybura...

, Rhinophis blythii

Rhinophis blythii

Rhinophis blythii, or Blyth's earth snake, is a species of snake in the Uropeltidae family. It is endemic to the rain forests and grasslands of Sri Lanka....

, Aspidura brachyorrhos, A. trachyprocta, Hypnale nepa

Hypnale nepa

Hypnale nepa is a venomous pitviper species found in Sri Lanka. Relatively small, they are distinguished by a strongly upturned snout. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...

, gecko

Gecko

Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

s such as Calotes nigrilabris, Cophotis ceylanica, Rhino Horn Lizard

Rhino Horn Lizard

Rhino-horned lizard , or Kagamuva Angkatussa in Sinhala, is a species of lizard in the Agamidae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.- See also :* Horton Plains National Park...

, and skink

Skink

Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...

 species Sphenomorphus striatopunctatum.

Conservation

Hakgala reserve is an important and isolated cloud forest

Cloud forest

A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...

, which supports a number of endemics, however its small size and isolation is jeopardizing its long term survival. Illegal logging

Illegal logging

Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the...

 by the farmers and dieback of the forest

Forest dieback

Forest dieback is a condition in trees or woody plants in which peripheral parts are killed, either by parasites or due to conditions like acid rain and drought....

 are the two major threats to the reserve. The reserve is one of the sites where academic research

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 is conducted. One study conducted within the reserve has revealed that soil toxicity

Soil acidification

Soil acidification is the buildup of hydrogen cations, also called protons, reducing the soil pH. This happens when a proton donor is added to the soil. The donor can be an acid, such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid . It can also be a compound such as aluminium sulfate, which reacts in the soil to...

is a probable cause of forest dieback. In addition to the above factors it is known that up to 25 percent of the area of the reserve has been encroached upon.