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Peak Wilderness Sanctuary (PWS), Horton Plains National Park (HPNP), Knuckles Range (KR)

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Sri Lanka (Asia and the Pacific)

Date of Submission: 20/03/2006
Criteria:
Category: Mixed
Submission prepared by:
Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
Coordinates:
6 43 44 - 6 54 35 N 80 30 0 - 80 46 18 E7 21 43 - 7 32 35 N 80 40 51- 80 58 15 Ecentral highlands of Sri Lanka
Ref.: 1728

Description

The three properties recommended for tentative listing, namely, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary (19,207 ha), Horton Plains (3 109 ha) and Knuckles Range (1 7,825 ha) are all part of the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The first two are contiguous and occur at the highest elevations of what is called the Central Massif. Adam's Peak reaches 2243 m at its peak and Kirigalpotha and Totupolakanda in the rim of Horton Plains reach 2389 m and 2357 m respectively. A striking feature of PWS is the cone shaped peak which is visible from far out at sea and has been a landmark for seafarers on their approach to Sri Lanka in ancient times.



The Knuckles Range (KR), though within the Central Massif and of the same geological origin as the other two properties, is isolated from them by the intervening relatively low-lying Kandy Plateau. The highest peak in the Knuckles range is 1904 m.

The central highlands cover only a small part of the country. They are the result of upwarping of the land, believed to have occurred in different stages, during post-Jurassic times.



The three properties are situated in the perhumid, wet zone of the country. The vegetation cover in PWS and KR consists for the most part of montane tropical rain forest. In certain parts of Knuckles Range, within the Knuckles Conservation Forest, the natural vegetation occurs as a pygmy forest with trees just over waist high. In Horton Plains, the dominant vegetation cover is grass, associated with dicotyledonous herbs and dwarf bamboo. A good part of the area in all three properties still retains its pristine vegetation cover. All three properties possess both natural and cultural heritage features of outstanding universal value.