Director – UBL Cell

 

 

Honorary Research Fellow in Environmental and Conservation Sciences
College of Science in the Health, Engineering and Education
Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia
Priyan.Perera@murdoch.edu.au

Research interest : Recreation Ecology, Ecotourism, Biodiversity, Wildlife, Sustainability Certification and Forest Certification.

 

Educational Qualifications

• PhD, Forestry (2011), School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
• MSc, Environmental Sciences (2009), School of Coast & Environment, Department of Environmental Science, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
• MSc, Forestry (2008), School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
• BSc, Forestry and Environmental Science [Special], (2003), Department of Forestry & Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Academic Appointments & Positions

• Honorary Research Fellow, College of Science in the Health, Engineering and Education, in the discipline of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia (2020 onward)
• Commission Member – IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Species Survival Commission (SSC) Pangolin Specialist Group (2017 onward)
• Director, University Business Linkage Cell, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2018 April to present)
• Director, Center For sustainability (CFS), Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2013 to present)

 

Areas of Specialty & Research Interests:

• Ecotourism, Recreation Ecology and Sustainable tourism
• Wildlife conservation and Management
• Protected area management and wildlife tourism in protected areas
• Sustainability Certification, Forest Certification and sustainable forestry
• Environmental Management and Environmental Impact Assessment

 

Publications

Recent Journal Publications

• Perera, P., & Karawita, H. (2020). An update of distribution, habitats and conservation status of the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in Sri Lanka. Global Ecology and Conservation, 21, e00799.
• Karawita, H, Perera, P., Dayawansa, N & Dias, S. (2020). Dietary composition and foraging habitats of the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in a tropical lowland forest-associated landscape in Southwest Sri Lanka. Global Ecology and Conservation.
• Karawita, H., & Perera, P. (2020). Dataset of distribution, habitats and conservation status of the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in Sri Lanka. Data in brief, 28, 104999.
• Marasinghe, S., Simpson, G., Newsome, D., & Perera, P. (2020). Scoping recreational disturbance of shorebirds to inform the agenda for research and management in Tropical Asia. Tropical Life Sciences Research, Early-View.
• Prakash, S. L., Perera, P., Newsome, D., Kusuminda, T., & Walker, O. (2019). Reasons for visitor dissatisfaction with wildlife tourism experiences at highly visited national parks in Sri Lanka. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism.
• Karawita, K. V. D. H. R., Perera, P. K. P., Pabasara, M. G. T and Dayawansa, N.P. (2018). Habitat preference and den characterization of Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in a tropical lowland forested landscape of South-west Sri Lanka Plos One.
• Marasinghe, S. S., Perera, P. K. P., & Dayawansa, P. N. (2018). Putrescible Waste Landfills as Bird Habitats in Urban Cities: A case from an Urban Landfill in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka. Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment, 8(2).
• Perera, P. K. P., Karawita, K. V. D. H. R., & Pabasara, M. G. T. (2017). Pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) in Sri Lanka: A Review of Current Knowledge, Threats and Research Priorities. Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment, Vol 7(1), 1-14.
• Sumanapala, H.D.P., Kotagama, W.S., Perera, P.K.P., Galahitiyawe, N.W.K., and Silva, D.S.C. (2017). Comparison of characteristics of Asian and non-Asian tourists visiting eco-lodges in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences, Vol 40 (2).
• Prakash, S.L., Perera, P.K.P., Perera, C., & Fernando, P. (2017). Visitor discontent at five ex-situ elephant conservation establishments in Asia. Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Vol. 47, 24-29.
• Perera, PKP, Wijesinghe, SR, Dayawansa NP and Marasinghe SS (2017). Response of tropical birds to habitat modifications in fragmented forest patches: A case from a tropical lowland rainforest in south-west Sri Lanka. Community Ecology 18(2): 175-183.
• Perera, P., & Vlosky, R. P. (2017). Understanding Ecotourist Behavior: The Case of Forest-based Ecotourism in Sri Lanka. e-Review of Tourism Research, 14(5/6)
• Alwis, N.S., Perera, P.K.P. and Dayawansa, N.P. Response of tropical avifauna to visitor recreational disturbances: a case study from the Sinharaja World Heritage Forest, Sri Lanka. Avian Research 7.1 (2016): 15. DOI 10.1186/s40657-016-0050-5
• Jayawardhane, J. K. P. C., Perera, P. K. P., Lokupitiya, R. S., Amarasekara, H. S., & Ruwanpathirana, N. (2016). The effect of quality attributes in determination of price for plantation-grown Teak (Tectona grandis) logs in Sri Lanka. Annals of Forest Research, Vol 59 (1), 1-12.
• PKP Perera, MC Senevirathna, RP Vlosky (2015). Recreationist perspectives, attitudes, and perceptions towards national park management in Sri Lanka. Tourism 63 (4), 497-514.
• Perera, P.K.P. and N. Lam (2013). An Environmental Justice Assessment of the Mississippi River industrial Corridor in Louisiana, U.S. using a GIS-based Approach. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, Vol.11 (4): 681-697.
• Perera, Priyan, Richard Vlosky and Sampath Wahala (2012). Motivational and Behavioral Profiling of Visitors to Forest-based Attractions in Sri Lanka. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. Vol 17, Number 4, 451-467.

Book Chapters

• Tariq Mahmood, Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra, Priyan Perera, Nausheen Irshad, Faraz Akrim, Shaista Andleeb, Muhammad Waseem, Sandhya Sharma and Sudarsan Panda (2019) Indian pangolin Manis crassicaudata (Geoffroy, 1803) in Pangolins: Science, Society and Conservation’ eds Dan Challander, Helen Nash and Carly Waterman. Academic Press, Elsevier.

 

Research Grants

• Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) for Sri Jayewardenepura: Restoration and Sustainable Management of Madinnagoda Wetland Ecosystem, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, Sri Lanka. UNDP GEF Small Grants (USD 50,000.00)
• Study of behavior in captivity and dietary ecology of Indian Pangolin (Manis Crassicaudata) in a tropical lowland forest habitat in southwest Sri Lanka. University Research Grant ASP/01/RE/SCI/2017/14 (Amount Rs. 495,000.00)
• Ecotourism in Coastal Wetlands: Meeting the Dual Mandates of Recreation and Conservation. National Research Council Grant 16:128 (2016) (Amount Rs. 2,330,000.00)
• Investigation of the Behaviour and Ecology of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata in a Tropical Lowland Forest Habitat in South West Sri Lanka. University Research Grant ASP/SCI/2015/07 (Amount Rs. 1,760,000.00)
• Estimating the Distribution and Abundance of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata in a Tropical Lowland Forest Habitat in South West Sri Lanka. Small Grant Program of the Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. (Amount Rs. 290,000.00)

Ongoing Projects

• Behavior, Ecology and Conservation of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata in Sri Lanka
• Ecotourism in coastal wetlands of Sri Lanka: Assessing the recreational disturbance on coastal avifauna and Understanding visitor perspectives