Forage Composition and Quality of Tankbed Grassland Ecosystems in Sri Lanka; A Preliminary Study of “Tabbowa” Tank

Although, Sri Lanka does not have large natural lakes, the early settlers devoted their energy to build water bodies (tanks or reservoirs) in association with forest catchments to provide water for irrigation. The tank bed is a grassland area of the tank, which lies between the catchment forest and the present water level. In general, the tankbed has three major zones - lower, middle and upper - and in some seasons the middle and upper parts may be underwater. This tankbed area is dominated by grassland vegetation and is a valuable feeding ground for free-grazing livestock. The main objective of this study was to identify the common forage species and to investigate the nutrient composition of species most relevant to ruminant livestock in one of the larger tankbed grasslands in the country