POTENTIAL FOR ECO- TOURISM AS A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO UTILIZE RESOURCES IN UP-COUNTRY TEA ESTA TES IN SRI LANKA

In the context of tea industry in Sri Lanka, ecotourism has been recognized asan economically viable, environmentally friendly, and socially acceptablenon-crop diversification mechanism to increase profits according to AsianDevelopment Bank report, 2000.The purpose of this study was to assess the potential for ecotourism inupcountry tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Six estates, namely: (1) Hellbodda;(2) Kaloogala; (3) Melfort; (4) Rothschild; (5) Sanquhar, and (6) Sogama thatare located in the Pussellawa plantation sub district have been selected as thecases.Collection of data was characterized by: (1) a field survey at each location toidentify the availability of potential resources for ecotourism (e.g. attractions,infrastructure); (2) a community survey with the estate households; (3) aseries of personnel interviews with the estate management, and (4)questionnaire-based surveys with potential local and foreign tourists to thesesites.The information collected through the field, community, and managementsurveys were used to develop an index - "Tourism Potential Index" (TPI),that explain the capacity of each estate to develop ecotourism. The resultsbased on the TPI suggest that the best location for ecotourism was theRothschild followed by Hellbodda, and Sogama. The results also show thatabout 75% of estate community was in favor of implementing an ecotourismproject, and about 84% and 78% of foreign and local tourists, respectively,are willing to visit such a project. The results highlight the necessity ofimplementing sustainable alternative projects to enhance the quality of life ofthe estate community.

Viable approach towards the sustainable utilization of Negombo lagoon

Ncgombo lagoon is a shallow coastal water body located on the west coast of Sri Lanka with vitaleconomic importance. It has had a long association with the fisheries industry of the country. Duringthe past 25 years development activities associated with the fisheries industry in Negornbo lagoonhave been taken place without due consideration to its aquatic environment. To ensure sustainablemanagement of the Negornbo lagoon it is imperative to conserve the natural habitats and extract onlythe sustainable fish yield, which does not exceed the reproductive capacity of the lagoon.In this study an attempt was made to identi fy the major factors that determine the use of illegal fishingmethods which disturb the sustainable utilization of the lagoon, to examine the factors that determinefishing income of the fisherman and to explore the contribution of the Special Area Management(SAM) project in order to reduce illegal fishingThe results highlight that the fishing methods employed in Negombo lagoon are significantly determinedby the participation to the awareness programmes of the project, initial capital requirement and costof fishing. This study further reveals that the fishing income of the fishermen is significantly determinedby the method of fishing used, education level and fishing experience of the fishermen.

Fungal diversity notes 1512-1610: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

This article is the 14th in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein we report 98 taxa distributed in two phyla, seven classes, 26 orders and 50 families which are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were collected from Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, French Guiana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 59 new taxa, 39 new hosts and new geographical distributions with one new combination. The 59 new species comprise Angustimassarina kunmingense, Asterina lopi, Asterina brigadeirensis, Bartalinia bidenticola, Bartalinia caryotae, Buellia pruinocalcarea, Coltricia insularis, Colletotrichum flexuosum, Colletotrichum thasutense, Coniochaeta caraganae, Coniothyrium yuccicola, Dematipyriforma aquatic, Dematipyriforma globispora, Dematipyriforma nilotica, Distoseptispora bambusicola, Fulvifomes jawadhuvensis, Fulvifomes malaiyanurensis, Fulvifomes thiruvannamalaiensis, Fusarium purpurea, Gerronema atrovirens, Gerronema flavum, Gerronema keralense, Gerronema kuruvense, Grammothele taiwanensis, Hongkongmyces changchunensis, Hypoxylon inaequale, Kirschsteiniothelia acutisporum, Kirschsteiniothelia crustaceum, Kirschsteiniothelia extensum, Kirschsteiniothelia septemseptatum, Kirschsteiniothelia spatiosum, Lecanora immersocalcarea, Lepiota subthailandica, Lindgomyces guizhouensis, Marthe asmius pallidoaurantiacus, Marasmius tangerinus, Neovaginatispora mangiferae, Pararamichloridium aquisubtropicum, Pestalotiopsis piraubensis, Phacidium chinaum, Phaeoisaria goiasensis, Phaeoseptum thailandicum, Pleurothecium aquisubtropicum, Pseudocercospora vernoniae, Pyrenophora verruculosa, Rhachomyces cruralis, Rhachomyces hyperommae, Rhachomyces magrinii, Rhachomyces platyprosophi, Rhizomarasmius cunninghamietorum, Skeletocutis cangshanensis, Skeletocutis subchrysella, Sporisorium anadelphiae-leptocomae, Tetraploa dashaoensis, Tomentella exiguelata, Tomentella fuscoaraneosa, Tricholomopsis lechatii, Vaginatispora flavispora and Wetmoreana blastidiocalcarea. The new combination is Torula sundara. The 39 new records on hosts and geographical distribution comprise Apiospora guiyangensis, Aplosporella artocarpi, Ascochyta medicaginicola, Astrocystis bambusicola, Athelia rolfsii, Bambusicola bambusae, Bipolaris luttrellii, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Chlorophyllum squamulosum, Colletotrichum aeschynomenes, Colletotrichum pandanicola, Coprinopsis cinerea, Corylicola italica, Curvularia alcornii, Curvularia senegalensis, Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe longicolla, Diaporthe phaseolorum, Diatrypella quercina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Helicoma aquaticum, Lepiota metulispora, Lepiota pongduadensis, Lepiota subvenenata, Melanconiella meridionalis, Monotosporella erecta, Nodulosphaeria digitalis, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Periconia byssoides, Periconia cortaderiae, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Psilocybe keralensis, Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium dehoogii, Scedosporium marina, Spegazzinia deightonii, Torula fici, Wiesneriomyces laurinus and Xylaria venosula. All these taxa are supported by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. This article allows the researchers to publish fungal collections which are important for future studies. An updated, accurate and timely report of fungus-host and fungus-geography is important. We also provide an updated list of fungal taxa published in the previous fungal diversity notes. In this list, erroneous taxa and synonyms are marked and corrected accordingly

Global consortium for the classification of fungi and fungus-like taxa

The Global Consortium for the Classification of Fungi and fungus-like taxa is an international initiative of more than 550 mycologists to develop an electronic structure for the classification of these organisms. The members of the Consortium originate from 55 countries/regions worldwide, from a wide range of disciplines, and include senior, mid-career and early-career mycologists and plant pathologists. The Consortium will publish a biannual update of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa, to act as an international scheme for other scientists. Notes on all newly published taxa at or above the level of species will be prepared and published online on the Outline of Fungi website (https://www.outlineoffungi.org/), and these will be finally published in the biannual edition of the Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. Comments on recent important taxonomic opinions on controversial topics will be included in the biannual outline. For example, 'to promote a more stable taxonomy in Fusarium given the divergences over its generic delimitation', or 'are there too many genera in the Boletales?' and even more importantly, 'what should be done with the tremendously diverse 'dark fungal taxa?' There are undeniable differences in mycologists' perceptions and opinions regarding species classification as well as the establishment of new species. Given the pluralistic nature of fungal taxonomy and its implications for species concepts and the nature of species, this consortium aims to provide a platform to better refine and stabilise fungal classification, taking into consideration views from different parties. In the future, a confidential voting system will be set up to gauge the opinions of all mycologists in the Consortium on important topics. The results of such surveys will be presented to the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF) and the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF) with opinions and percentages of votes for and against. Criticisms based on scientific evidence with regards to nomenclature, classifications, and taxonomic concepts will be welcomed, and any recommendations on specific taxonomic issues will also be encouraged; however, we will encourage professionally and ethically responsible criticisms of others' work. This biannual ongoing project will provide an outlet for advances in various topics of fungal classification, nomenclature, and taxonomic concepts and lead to a community-agreed classification scheme for the fungi and fungus-like taxa. Interested parties should contact the lead author if they would like to be involved in future outlines. </div