By Pabodha Hettige
The Biodiversity Secretariat has decided to include a complete assessment report, on all plants growing in Sri Lanka, in the ‘National Red Data Book’.
"In 2007 only 1,000 species of plants were included in the report. This year the authorities have decided to include a total of 3,600 endemic and non-endemic flowering and non-flowering plants in the book," Director of the National Science Foundation and Biodiversity Secretariat Gamini Gamage said.
All information about these plants, including the places they are found at and the possible threats they face, will be included in the book. "Less than 10 per cent of the number of plants that have been already assessed, face the threat of extinction," Gamage said.
He said that the Biodiversity Secretariat has taken steps to include a list of marine organisms, mammals and spiders in the ‘National Red Data Book’. Such measures has not been taken in previous times, he said. However, assessment reports on them will not be included. Instead, the authorities will restrict them to a check list. Conservation plans have been already drawn up for certain species and the authorities are in the process of identifying possible threats and conservation measures. The Biodiversity Secretariat has also done a complete assessment on the ant species found in Sri Lanka to be included in the book, he said.
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