Forest cover in Sri Lanka has been decreased significantly
since the beginning of this century (FPU, 1995a; Legg and
Jewell, 1995). The first comprehensive aerial photographic
survey, undertaken in 1956, showed a 44% forest cover
(Andrews, 1961) most of which is considered to be natural.
The inventory survey carried out in 1983 showed a 26.6% natural
forest cover (FAO, 1986).