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| Dumbara Mountain Range | |
|---|---|
 A view of the Dumbara mountain range (Spinix 2 and five peaks behind) | |
  Location of the conservation forest | |
| Location | Central Province,Sri Lanka |
| Nearest city | Matale |
| Coordinates | 7°27′N80°48′E / 7.450°N 80.800°E /7.450; 80.800 |
| Area | L |
| Governing body | Department of Forest Conservation |
| World Heritage site | 1203-003: "Knuckles Conservation Forest (KCF)" since 2010 (within the siteCentral Highlands of Sri Lanka)[1] |
TheDumbara Mountain Range lies in centralSri Lanka, in the Districts ofMatale andKandy. TheSinhalese residents have traditionally referred to the area asDumbara Kanduvetiya meaning Mist-laden Mountain Range. EarlyBritish surveyors gave the nameknuckles, referring to a series ofrecumbent folds and peaks in the west of the massif which resemble theknuckles of clenched fist when viewed from certain locations in theKandy District.
The higher montane area is often robed in thick layers of cloud. In addition to its aesthetic value, the range is of great scientific interest. It is a climatic microcosm of the rest of Sri Lanka as the conditions of all the climatic zones in the country are exhibited in themassif. At higher elevations there is a series of isolatedcloud forests, harbouring a variety offlora andfauna. Although the range constitutes approximately 0.03% of the island's total area, it is home to a significantly higher proportion of the country'sbiodiversity. The isolated Dumbara range harbours severalrelict, endemic flora and fauna that are distinct from central massif. More than 34 percent of Sri Lanka's endemic trees, shrubs, and herbs are only found in these forests. Dumbara (Knuckles) Conservation Forest was included in UNESCO natural world heritage list in 2010 as part of Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.[2]
There are nine peaks over 1200 meters (4000 ft) in the Dumbara Range.[3][4]
| Peak | Summit | |
|---|---|---|
| m | ft | |
| Gombaniya | 1,906 | 6,253 |
| Five Peaks | 1,864 | 6,115 |
| Knuckles-Kirigalpotta | 1,647 | 5,404 |
| Aliyawetunaela | 1,647 | 5,404 |
| Dumbanagala | 1,644 | 5,394 |
| Yakungegala | 1,586 | 5,203 |
| Dothalugala | 1,575 | 5,167 |
| Wamarapugala | 1,559 | 5,115 |
| Koboneelagala | 1,555 | 5,102 |
| Kalupahana (Thunthisgala) | 1,628 | 5,341 |
| Rilagala | 1,605 | 5,266 |
| Nawanagala | 1,488 | 4,882 |
| Telambugala | 1,331 | 4,367 |
| Lakegala | 1,310 | 4,298 |
| Maratuwegala | 1,190 | 3,904 |
| Balagiriya | 1,148 | 3,766 |
| Velangala | 1,180 | 3,871 |
| Lahumanagala | 1,114 | 3,655 |
| Kinihirigala | 1,068 | 3,504 |
| Lunumadalla | 1,060 | 3,478 |
Cultivation ofcardamom at large scale in the montane forests is a major threat to the fragile forest ecosystem.[5][6][7]
Invasive exotic plant species such as Mist Flower (Ageratina riparia) that increasingly spread into montane forest areas and montane grasslands destroy the unique native Sri Lankan flora.[8][9][10]
Media related toKnuckles Mountain Range at Wikimedia Commons