ABSTRACT
Highlands of Sri Lanka have been recognized as one of the most beautiful tropical highland areas in the world. The World Heritage Committee, held its 34th session in Brasília, in 2010 proclaimed this area as one of the World Heritage Sites. The site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest. These are the rain forests at an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft.) above sea level. They is rich in biodiversity: more than half of Sri Lanka’s endemic vertebrates, half of the country’s endemic fl owering plants and more than 34% of its endemic trees, shrubs, and herbs are restricted to these diverse mountain rain forests and adjoining grassland areas (UNESCO 2012).
