THE STUDY OF SRI LANKA'S ENDEMIC BIOTA

Sri Lanka's incredibly diverse land-snail fauna is dominated by endemic species.

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Most of these endemic species are wholly or nearly dependent on natural forest, and most are restricted to small ranges in the wetter parts of the island. The question that underpins Dr. Raheem's study of this fauna is, "What historical and contemporary forces have shaped what species are found at a particular place?" In this lecture, she will discuss her efforts to investigate this question, explore the approaches used for studying species-rich yet poorly known taxa such as land snails, and highlight the crucial importance of this kind of research for conserving Sri Lanka's endemic biota.