WATERFALLS IN SRI LANKA

Waterfalls have fascinated human beings from the beginning. They are of the most beautiful of natural phenomena. From ancient times waterfalls have struck awe to those who see them and several have various legends and historical events associated with them.

Sri Lanka in comparison to its size has perhaps the largest number of waterfalls of any country in the world. They constitute about a hundred' some of great height and others only' a few meters' Perhaps no country has neglected its waterfalls as much that they are in jungles without even a foot – path leading to them. The vegetation round many falls has been denuded. Sri Lanka's highest waterfall. The Bambarakande Falls (263 m), a sight of the most exquisite beauty is still known only to a few, even though it is a bare 4 miles off the main road from Colombo to Bandarawela. Meny still believe that Diyaluma (220 m) is the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka.

Several geographical factors are necessary for there to be an abundance of waterfalls in any Country. Sri Lanka is fortunate in that all these factors are found in the central highlands  of the island. Firstly, the geological formation of the land has to be such  that there is a sharp upthrust of  the earth's surface resulting in several clearly defined peneplains with precipitous edges. Secondly, there should be plenty of rainfall so that the rivers with the, waterfalls are always carrying a large amount of water. A fall is at its best when there is a large volume of water rushing over its lip. Finally, a thick vegetation surrounding a waterfall always adds to its beauty. These factors are dealt  with in detail in the following paragraphs.

The geological structure of Ceylon shows  three distinct peneplains a coastel penepl of about 1,500 feet above sea level. A second peneplain at about 4,400 feet and a third peneplain about 6,000 feet. These peneplains are very marked and have been caused by a series of upward thrusts of the land surface millions of years ago. Two different theories have been advanced as to how and when these upward thrusts took place. Whatever its origins Sri lanka's tree peneplains are sharply divided from each other.

The division between the second and third peneplains is sharply marked particularly on the southern and eastern edges of the third peneplain. The is an almost wall like escarpment rising to over 3,500 feet above the low lands of the second peneplain on the southern part of the central highlands. This escarpment starts at the foot of Adam's Peak (7,300 feet) and proceeds to Wellawaya at the foot of the great Haputale scarp (5,000 feet). Some of our highest waterfalls are over this cliff wall, e.g., Aberdeen. Laxapana,Kirindi Ella. Bambaralanda, Diyaluma, Rawanella, etc. This horst or upward thrust land mass surrounded by depressed land is also evident on the eastern border of the highlands at a lesser height falling abruptly into the Uma Oya, a tributary of the Mahaweli. The Dunhinda. Manawela. Kurundu and Victoria falls are features of this escarpment. There are no waterfalls on the northern face of the horst. There is also an internal faulting in the central horst in the watawala Ragala area on the third or highest peneplain. Here we find the Devon Ramboda. Elgin, Parawella and St. Claire falls.

Mushroom

Have you ever eaten a mushroom? How? On pizza? In salad? Maybe you had mushrooms in an omelet. Maybe you don’t even like mushrooms! Some people don’t. But many people do and eat them in all kinds of ways.

WHAT’S A MUSHROOM?

A mushroom is a fungus. Scientists used to think that mushrooms and other fungi (plural of fungus) were plants. Now they know that fungi are very different from plants. Fungi get their food in a different way than plants. They also reproduce differently from plants. Fungi are now considered a completely different form of life.

A mushroom is the visible part of the fungus. Mushrooms are where some fungi make spores. A spore is like a tiny seed that can grow into a whole new fungus.

The main part of the fungus is called the mycelium and it’s hidden. It’s down inside whatever the fungus is growing in.

HOW MUSHROOMS STAY ALIVE

A plant uses nutrients and sunlight to make food and stay alive. But a fungus can’t do this. It has to take food from its surroundings. It does that by breaking down material into basic nutrients. That’s why wild mushrooms usually sprout from old leaves or damp old logs. The fungus is breaking down the dead material to use as food.

Fungi are called decomposers because they help decompose, or break things down. A rotting log is soft because decomposers have digested the hard parts.

  SHAPES

Most mushrooms are shaped somewhat like umbrellas. They have a fleshy or woody stalk. On top of the stalk is a flat or round cap with thin spokes called gills underneath. Not all mushrooms look like that, but that’s the most common shape.

Some mushrooms are different. They’re round like balls and grow underground. Some look like plates and stick out from tree trunks. Others look like regular mushrooms but have spongy holes instead of gills underneath. Fairy ring mushrooms actually grow in a ring on the forest floor. That’s because the underground part of the fungus grows in a big circle and sprouts mushrooms around its edges.

DELICIOUS AND DANGEROUS

Some mushrooms have become very popular to eat. They don’t have much nutritional value. People eat them just for the taste and unusual textures.

One group of mushrooms, called truffles, grows underground. The odor of truffles is so strong that pigs and dogs can be trained to sniff them out! The truffle is a highly prized food, especially in France where it usually grows.

Another group, called morels, looks like small, shriveled honeycombs on a stick. Morels are a favorite of mushroom hunters in North America.

The portabella mushroom is big and juicy and is considered a kind of mushroom steak. People sometimes eat sliced portabellas like slabs of meat. And the shiitake mushroom has been a favorite delicacy in Asia for centuries.

But some mushrooms are poisonous. They can make you sick and damage your organs. A few are even deadly. The most famous poisonous mushrooms are the amanitas. They cause most of the mushroom poisonings in the United States. Mushroom hunters have to be very careful. They don’t eat any mushroom unless they know it’s safe. Mushrooms can be delicious, but they can be dangerous, too.

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