Abstract:
Geographical factors have mainly influenced the origin and expansion of
plants in the world. The Rhododendron arboreum plant, which is endemic to
Sri Lanka is fairly spread in high altitudes area from 1500m to 2400m in
central highland. The main objective of this research is, to identify whether
the Rhododendron arboreum plant geographically isolated and spread as an
invasive form. The study area of this research is Horton plains national park
in Nuwara-Eliya. The research was based on primary and secondary data. The
mixed-method has applied for this research and questionnaire, interview,
direct observation on square method were conducted to collect the primary
data. The books, research articles, and magazines were used as secondary data.
To find the answers qualitative and quantitative analyzed were done using the
MS excel, GIS, and Shannon’s diversity index calculation. According to the
analysis Rhododendron arboreum plant has been geographically isolated and
the growth of this plant has been dynamic in the last two decades. 80% of the
sample shows that the Rhododendron arboreum plant is grown and expanded
in the areas that were used for potato cultivation in the earlier period. Although
the Rhododendron arboreum is an endemic species, the Horton plains
ecosystem can be affected due to it’s as an invasive nature. For this reason, it
is important to conduct a systematic study on this plant to ensure the
sustainability of the Horton plains national park.
