Critical services of Forest Passages which help Wildlife Survival

Enhanced Habitat for Small Species: Forest passages offer secure hiding places, reduce predation risks for small species, and ensure that water access and food availability are secured at times within these passages. They also help reduce road kills for such species.

Improved Breeding Grounds and Genetic Diversity: Forest passages facilitate better breeding grounds, connecting fragmented small species populations, and these pathways expand the species’ footprint and gene pool, thereby enhancing overall genetic diversity.

Mitigation of Human-wildlife Conflicts for Large Species: Larger species, like Leopards, benefit from reduced confrontations by using forest passages and thereby avoiding populated estate patches and agricultural landscapes. Other smaller species like otters, lizards and snakes for example reduce the risk of being killed by dogs or cats or people, when they cross populated areas.

Addressing Environmental Issues in Sri Lanka: The reduction in passageways has increased conflicts significantly and this is particularly evident in the case of elephants. Unplanned and illegal deforestation leads to isolated forest patches, causing confrontations, species extinction and financial losses in many cases. Secondary impacts on agriculture, climate change, soil erosion, flooding, and landslides are well connected with the root causes of habitat destruction.

Preservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health: Forest passages can counter unplanned deforestation, preserving biodiversity through undisturbed pathways, and hence contributing to overall ecosystem health.

Many endemic floras are fighting extinction in many parts of Sri Lanka. Green pathways can reduce Environmental temperature levels and improve air quality, and many cities too are looking at narrow green corridors as the next evolution for modern city living.