Prof. Sisira Ediriweera
Professor
Ph.D. in Biophysical Remote Sensing(Southern Cross University, Australia)
M.Phil. in Tropical Forest Ecology (University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka)
International Diploma (Plant Conversation)-(Kew Botanic Gardens, UK)
B.Sc. (University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka)
Email :sisira@uwu.ac.lk
Phone : +94 553559113
Gunatilleke, N.; Neidel, D.; Raman, T.R.S.; Ediriweera, S. (+15 authors) (2023). Ecological Approaches to Forest Restoration: Lessons Learned from Tropical Wet Asia. In: Florentine, S., Gibson-Roy, P., Dixon, K.W., Broadhurst, L. (eds) Ecological Restoration. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25412-3_4
Leite, M.d.S., McMahon, S.M., Prado, P.I., Davies, S.J., Ediriweera, S., + 45 authors (2024), Major axes of variation in tree demography across global forests. Ecography e07187. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.07187
Hülsmann, L., Chisholm, R.A., Liza, C., Ediriweera, S. +40 authors (2024) Latitudinal patterns in stabilizing density dependence of forest communities. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07118-4
Medina-Vega, J.A., Zuleta, D., Aguilar, S. Ediriweera S. +35 authors (2024) Tropical tree ectomycorrhiza are distributed independently of soil nutrients. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 1-10: 1-11
Ediriweera, S., Bandara, C.*, 8 + authors (2024) Old-growth mixed dipterocarp forests show variable losses and gains in aboveground biomass and standing carbon over forty years, Forest Ecosystems,1, 100163, 1-10
Delavaux, C.S., LaManna, J.A., Myers, J., Phillips, R. P., Ediriweera, S. +70 authors (2023) Mycorrhizal feedbacks influence global forest structure and diversity. Nature Communication Biology. 6, 1066. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05410-z
Perng, B.H., Lam, T.Y., Su, S.H., Md Sabri, M.D.B., Burslem, D., Cardenas, D., Duque, Á., Ediriweera, S., Gunatilleke, N., Novotny, V. and O’Brien, M.J., (2023). Integrating rapid assessment, variable probability sampling, and machine learning to improve accuracy and consistency in mapping local spatial distribution of plant species richness. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, p. cpad041.
Dissanayake, D. P. V. R., Wijekoon, P., and Ediriweera, S. (2023). Predicting annual stem diameter increment of selected tree species in Sinharaja rain forest by considering tree and stand level effects. Ceylon Journal of Science, 52(2), 209–217. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v52i2.8017
Bandara, C., Lakkana, T. and Ediriweera, S (2022) Oberonia mahaeliyensis (Orchidaceae: Epidendroidae: Malaxidae), a new orchid from the montane cloud forest of Sri Lanka, Phytotaxa 549 (1): 097–103
Piponiot, C., Anderson-Teixeira, K., Davice, S. Ediriweera, S. +41 authors (2022) Size-related tree biomass dynamics in forests across the world. New Phytologist. 234 (1), 1-14
* Lakkana, P.H.T, Ashton, M.S., Hooper, E.R., Perera, A., Ediriweera, S. (2022) Tropical montane forest in South Asia: Composition, structure and dieback in relation to soils and topography, Ecosphere 13(5) 1-14
Kambach, S., Condit, R., Ediriweera, S.; 35+ authors (2022) Consistency of demographic trade-offs across tropical forests. Journal of Ecology 110(05) 1-12
Somasundaram, D., Zhang, F., Ediriweera, S., Wang, S., Yin, Z., Li, J., Bing Z. (2021) Patterns Trends and Drivers of water transparency in Sri Lanka using Landsat 8 observations and Google Earth Engine, Remote Sensing, 13(11), 2193, 1-23
Pavel, F., Vojtech, N., Ediriweera, S., 5+ authors. (2021) Common spatial patterns of trees in various tropical forests: small trees are associated with increased diversity at small spatial scales. Ecology and Evolution. 00: 1-11
Wills, C., Ediriweera, S., 45 + authors (2021) Interactions Between All Pairs of Neighbouring Trees in 16 Forests Worldwide Reveal Details of Unique Ecological Processes in Each Forest, and Provide Windows into Their Evolutionary Histories. PLOS Computational Biology, 17(04), 1-33
Cao,K., Condit, R., Mi, X., Ediriweera, S., 45 + authors (2021) Species packing and the latitudinal gradient in local beta-diversity. Proceedings of Royal Society B., 288, 1948
Davies, S., Ediriweera, S., 160 + authors (2021) ForestGEO: Understanding Forest Diversity and Dynamics through a Global Observatory Network. Biological Conservation,253, 108907, 1-24
Russo, S.E, Ediriweera, S., 28+ authors (2020) The interspecific growth-mortality trade-off is not a general framework for tropical forest community structure. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 4 (11), 1-12
*Somasundaram, D., Zhang F., Ediriweera S., Wang S., Li J., and Zhang,B. (2020) Spatial and Temporal changes in surface water area of Sri Lanka over a 30-year period. Remote Sensing, 12, (12), 22, 3701
*Bandara, C., Priyankara, T., Atthanagoda, A. G., Lakkana, T., Ediriweera S. & Kumar, P (2020) Gastrodia gunatillekeorum (Gastrodieae, Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae), a new species from a lowland rainforest of Sri Lanka, Phytotaxa, 436 (8) 055–062
Ediriweera, S., Bandara, C.*, Woodbury, D. J., Mi, X., Gunatilleke, I. A.U.N., Gunatilleke. C.V. S., Ashton, P.S., (2020) Changes in tree structure, composition, and diversity of a mixed-dipterocarp rainforest over a 40-year period. Forest Ecology and Management 458, 117764
Ashton, M, Hooper, E., Singhakumara, B, Ediriweera, S. (2018) Regeneration recruitment and survival in a tropical rain forest: Implications for sustainable management. Ecosphere 9(2) 1-16
Somasiri, S.C., Nadheesha, M. K. F. & Ediriweera, S. (2018) Performance of Medium term Agro-Forest tree species on hard Laterite Soils, International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology 3 (3) 1083-1087
Ediriweera, S., Pathirana, S., Danaher, T. (2016) The influence of topographic variation on forest structure in two woody plant communities: A Remote Sensing approach. Forest Systems, 25 (1): 1-11
Ediriweera, S., Pathirana, S., Danaher, T., Nichols, D. (2014) Estimating structural parameters using airborne LiDAR in subtropical rainforest and eucalypt forest in topographically complex terrain in North-eastern Australia. Journal of Tropical Forest Research 26 (3):397-408
Ediriweera, S., Pathirana, S., Danaher, T.Moffiet, T., Nichols, D (2014) Estimating above-ground biomass by fusion of LiDAR and multispectral data in subtropical woody plant communities in topographically complex terrain in North-eastern Australia. Journal of Forestry Research 25 (3) : 1-11
Ediriweera, S., Pathirana, S., Danaher, T.Moffiet, T., Nichols, D. (2013) Effect of different topographic normalization methods on prediction accuracy of Foliage Projective Cover (FPC) in topographically complex landscapes. Remote Sensing 5: 6767-6789
Woodbury, D., Jayawickrama, H.S., Ediriweera, S., Ashton, M. (2023) People influence carbon stocks in Sri Lankan mixed dipterocarp forest fragments more than edge effects, Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) July 2023, India
Madhubhani, S., Ediriweera, S., Comita, L., Lakmali, M., Surendra, A. (2023) Intraspecific variation of leaf traits in relation to topography in a Sri Lankan rainforest, Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) July 2023, India
Lakmali, M., Ediriweera, S., Comita, L., Madhubhani, S., Surendra, A. (2023) Interspecific variation in leaf traits across topographic habitats in a tropical rainforest, southwest Sri Lanka. Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) July 2023, India
Jayawickrama, H.S., Ediriweera, S., Ashton, M., Woodbury, D. (2023) What are the patterns of bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments among resident and migratory birds in Sri Lanka? Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) July 2023, India
Herath, S. Wijekoon, P., Ediriweera, S. (2022) Spatial and temporal variation of tree biomass in the tropical rainforest of southwest Sri Lanka, Proceeding of the Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress, Sri Lanka
Jayasinghe, S., Ediriweera, S., Thorsten, W., Wijekoon, P. (2022) Investigate the effect of dispersal limitation and habitat association on intraspecific recruit-adult patterns in a mixed-dipterocarp tropical rainforest, Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) July 2022
Jayasinghe, S., Wijekoon, P., Thorsten, W., Ediriweera, S. (2021)(under review) Effect of topographic variation on adult-recruit association of Shorea species in a Mixed-Dipterocarp Tropical Rainforest, Sri Lanka. International Research Symposium, Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka
Dissanayake, D.M.D., Wijekoon, P., Ediriweera, S., Gunatilleke, I.A.U.N. (Accepted) Analysis of mortality rates of tree species in Sinharaja Forest Dynamic Plot, Sri Lanka. iPURSE, University of Peredeniya
Lakkana, P.H.T., Ediriweera, S., Perera, A. and Ashton, M. (2020) Detecting trends in forest disturbance and recovery using Landsat time series of Horton Plain National Park, Sri Lanka Postgraduate Institute of Science Research Congress, Sri Lanka, 26-27 Nov
Kambach, S, Rueger, N., Ediriweera,S. and +28 authors (2019) Generality of Demographic Trade-offs in Undisturbed and Hurricane Disturbed Tropical Forests; 56th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Antananarivo, Madagascar, 30th July-03 August
Lakkana, P.H.T, Ediriweera,S., Anoma Perera and Mark Ashton (2019) An evaluation of crown dieback in tropical montane cloud forest in Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka;. Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Asia-Pacific Chapter (ATBC-AP), Sri Lanka
Mark Ashton, Savithri Gunatilleke, Neela de Zoysa, M.D. Dassanayake, Nimal Gunatilleke and Siril Wijesundara (1997) A Field Guilds to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka, WHT Publication
National / International Working Committees
Member- Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC)- Grants and Awards Committee (2022-2024)- https://tropicalbiology.org/about-us/committees/grants-and-awards-committee
Member- Steering Committee on Research and Development for Environment – National Science Foundation- Sri Lanka (from 2022 to date)
Member-Man and Biosphere (MAB) Committee- National Science Foundation- Sri Lanka
Member-National Red listing Committee-Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and Wildlife Resources – Sri Lanka
Member- IUCN Commission -Sri Lanka
Member- IUCN/SSC Global Tree Specialist Group https://globaltrees.org/
Member-IUCN SSC Western Ghats Plant Specialist Group https://www.iucn.org/commissions/ssc-groups/plants-fungi/plants/plants-h-z/western-ghats-plant
Member- National Species Conservation Advisory Group (NASCAG), Ministry of Environment and Wildlife Resources, Sri Lanka
Member- Technical Evaluation Committee, Central Environmental Authority- Sri Lanka
University Level
Vice Chancellor (Cover up Duties)- Uva Wellassa University (03 occasions: 2017-2020)
Dean- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Uva Wellassa University from 30 May 2017 to 28 May 2020
Acting Dean- Faculty of Science and Technology, Uva Wellassa University from 19-August 2015 to 29 May 2017
Acting Head-Department of Computer Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology – Uva Wellassa University from 07-April 2014 to 19 May 2017
Chairman – Faculty Higher Degree by Research Committee, Faculty of Science and Technology, Uva Wellassa University from 14th June- 2016 to 19 May 2017
Senior Student Counsellor -Uva Wellassa University from 01 October 2013 to 01 October 2015/span>
Director to the Board of Directors- Lanka Education & Research Network (LEARN)- Uva Wellassa University from 18th July 2014 to 19 May 2017
Coordinator (IT)-UCTIT –HETC Project- Uva Wellassa University from 01st June to 31 December 2015
Deputy Coordinator (IT)-UCTIT –HETC Project- Uva Wellassa University from 01st October 2014 to 01st April 2015
Head-Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology – Uva Wellassa University from 13-October 2006 to 02 May 2009
Student Counsellor -Uva Wellassa University from 01 January 2007 to 30 December 2007
Memberships
Member – Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) (Member ID: 2528)
Member – Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science
Member – The Institute of Biology- Sri Lanka
Awards
Presidential Research Awards for Research- Sri Lanka (2009, 2014, 2015, 2018)
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) – Australia (2009)
Southern Cross University Postgraduate Research Scholarship– Australia (2009)
Best presentation (Gold Medal), Sabaragamuwa University – Sri Lanka (2006)
Kew Scholarship – Royal Botanic Gardens Kew-UK (2005)
Gold Award–Conservation Leadership Programme-UK (2004)
CTFS scholarship – Centre for Tropical Forest Studies-USA (2001)
