Tropical PioneersIn 1800, the highlands of Sri Lanka had some of the most biologically diverse primary tropical rainforest ecosystems in the world. By 1900, only a few craggy corners and mountain caps had been spared the fire stick. Highland villagers, through the extension of slash and burn agriculture, and British managers, through the creation of plantationsfirst of coffee, then cinchona, and finally teahad removed virtually the entire primary forest cover.