What is a cloud forest

A brief description of TMCF

TMCF are evergreen, very diverse and dense natural communities, characterized mainly by the frequent presence of fog and a high atmospheric humidity during most of the year (Hamilton et al. 1994, Bruijnzeel and Veneklass 1998). They are distributed on 0.3 % of the Earth’s surface (Long 1994) following a discontinuous geographical belt between 500 and 3500 m above sea level (Doumenge et al. 1994). Their high humidity levels (the annual precipitation varies from 500-10,000 mm), high habitat heterogeneity associated with small-scale variation in environmental conditions, and other favorable habitat conditions, result in a great natural diversity in species composition and structure (Ramirez-Marcial 2001, Williams-Linera 2002), with a high percentage of endemism in epiphytes such as mosses, lichens and ferns, and for numerous populations of vascular plants, animals and other organisms (Hamilton et al. 1994, Long 1994).

Relatively large amounts of cloud water entering TMCFs from intercepted fog and cloud droplets enable these ecosystems to sustain greater hydrologic budgets and streamflow production than any other ecosystem (including tropical rainforests) (Walmsley et al. 1996, Bruijnzeel 2002a, 2005, Burkard et al. 2003). However, their soils are usually near water saturated which creates a typically low water storage and holding capacity (Bruijnzeel 2004). Despite the abundant humidity, TMCFs general have lower growth and productivity rates compared to tropical moist forests due to reduced sunlight which leads to low temperatures, high relative humidity, and finally low evapotranspiration rates (McGinley 2001).

In sum, the most common hydrological characteristics of TMCFs include (Bruijnzeel 2004): a) foggy and/or cloudy environment TMCF are evergreen, very diverse and dense natural communities, characterized mainly by the frequent presence of fog and a high atmospheric humidity during most of the year (Hamilton et al. 1994, Bruijnzeel and Veneklass 1998). They are distributed on 0.3 % of the Earth’s surface (Long 1994) following a discontinuous geographical belt between 500 and 3500 m above sea level (Doumenge et al. 1994). Their high humidity levels (the annual precipitation varies from 500-10,000 mm), high habitat heterogeneity associated with small-scale variation in environmental conditions, and other favorable habitat conditions, result in a great natural diversity in species composition and structure (Ramirez-Marcial 2001, Williams-Linera 2002), with a high percentage of endemism in epiphytes such as mosses, lichens and ferns, and for numerous populations of vascular plants, animals and other organisms (Hamilton et al. 1994, Long 1994).

TMCF are evergreen, very diverse and dense natural communities, characterized mainly by the frequent presence of fog and a high atmospheric humidity during most of the year (Hamilton et al. 1994, Bruijnzeel and Veneklass 1998). They are distributed on 0.3 % of the Earth’s surface (Long 1994) following a discontinuous geographical belt between 500 and 3500 m above sea level (Doumenge et al. 1994). Their high humidity levels (the annual precipitation varies from 500-10,000 mm), high habitat heterogeneity associated with small-scale variation in environmental conditions, and other favorable habitat conditions, result in a great natural diversity in species composition and structure (Ramirez-Marcial 2001, Williams-Linera 2002), with a high percentage of endemism in epiphytes such as mosses, lichens and ferns, and for numerous populations of vascular plants, animals and other organisms (Hamilton et al. 1994, Long 1994).

Relatively large amounts of cloud water entering TMCFs from intercepted fog and cloud droplets enable these ecosystems to sustain greater hydrologic budgets and streamflow production than any other ecosystem (including tropical rainforests) (Walmsley et al. 1996, Bruijnzeel 2002a, 2005, Burkard et al. 2003). However, their soils are usually near water saturated which creates a typically low water storage and holding capacity (Bruijnzeel 2004). Despite the abundant humidity, TMCFs general have lower growth and productivity rates compared to tropical moist forests due to reduced sunlight which leads to low temperatures, high relative humidity, and finally low evapotranspiration rates (McGinley 2001).

In sum, t TMCF are evergreen, very diverse and dense natural communities, characterized mainly by the frequent presence of fog and a high atmospheric humidity during most of the year (Hamilton et al. 1994, Bruijnzeel and Veneklass 1998). They are distributed on 0.3 % of the Earth’s surface (Long 1994) following a discontinuous geographical belt between 500 and 3500 m above sea level (Doumenge et al. 1994). Their high humidity levels (the annual precipitation varies from 500-10,000 mm), high habitat heterogeneity associated with small-scale variation in environmental conditions, and other favorable habitat conditions, result in a great natural diversity in species composition and structure (Ramirez-Marcial 2001, Williams-Linera 2002), with a high percentage of endemism in epiphytes such as mosses, lichens and ferns, and for numerous populations of vascular plants, animals and other organisms (Hamilton et al. 1994, Long 1994).

TMCF are evergreen, very diverse and dense natural communities, characterized mainly by the frequent presence of fog and a high atmospheric humidity during most of the year (Hamilton et al. 1994, Bruijnzeel and Veneklass 1998). They are distributed on 0.3 % of the Earth’s surface (Long 1994) following a discontinuous geographical belt between 500 and 3500 m above sea level (Doumenge et al. 1994). Their high humidity levels (the annual precipitation varies from 500-10,000 mm), high habitat heterogeneity associated with small-scale variation in environmental conditions, and other favorable habitat conditions, result in a great natural diversity in species composition and structure (Ramirez-Marcial 2001, Williams-Linera 2002), with a high percentage of endemism in epiphytes such as mosses, lichens and ferns, and for numerous populations of vascular plants, animals and other organisms (Hamilton et al. 1994, Long 1994).

Relatively large amounts of cloud water entering TMCFs from intercepted fog and cloud droplets enable these ecosystems to sustain greater hydrologic budgets and streamflow production than any other ecosystem (including tropical rainforests) (Walmsley et al. 1996, Bruijnzeel 2002a, 2005, Burkard et al. 2003). However, their soils are usually near water saturated which creates a typically low water storage and holding capacity (Bruijnzeel 2004). Despite the abundant humidity, TMCFs general have lower growth and productivity rates compared to tropical moist forests due to reduced sunlight which leads to low temperatures, high relative humidity, and finally low evapotranspiration rates (McGinley 2001).

In sum, the most common hydrological characteristics of TMCFs include (Bruijnzeel 2004): a) foggy and/or cloudy environment, b) exposed ridges or top mountains, c) shallow soils, d) low soil water storage capacity, e) low transpiration rates, f) extra inputs of moisture generated through cloud water interception, g) high runoff coefficients, h) low resilience to (and therefore slow recovery rates following) large and/or prolonged disturbances, and i) physical processes related to water/vapor/clouds are high vulnerable to management.
Relatively large amounts of cloud water entering TMCFs from intercepted fog and cloud droplets enable these ecosystems to sustain greater hydrologic budgets and streamflow production than any other ecosystem (including tropical rainforests) (Walmsley et al. 1996, Bruijnzeel 2002a, 2005, Burkard et al. 2003). However, their soils are usually near water saturated which creates a typically low water storage and holding capacity (Bruijnzeel 2004). Despite the abundant humidity, TMCFs general have lower growth and productivity rates compared to tropical moist forests due to reduced sunlight which leads to low temperatures, high relative humidity, and finally low evapotranspiration rates (McGinley 2001).

In sum, the most common hydrological characteristics of TMCFs include (Bruijnzeel 2004): a) foggy and/or cloudy environment, b) exposed ridges or top mountains, c) shallow soils, d) low soil water storage capacity, e) low transpiration rates, f) extra inputs of moisture generated through cloud water interception, g) high runoff coefficients, h) low resilience to (and therefore slow recovery rates following) large and/or prolonged disturbances, and i) physical processes related to water/vapor/clouds are high vulnerable to management.
he most common hydrological characteristics of TMCFs include (Bruijnzeel 2004): a) foggy and/or cloudy environment, b) exposed ridges or top mountains, c) shallow soils, d) low soil water storage capacity, e) low transpiration rates, f) extra inputs of moisture generated through cloud water interception, g) high runoff coefficients, h) low resilience to (and therefore slow recovery rates following) large and/or prolonged disturbances, and i) physical processes related to water/vapor/clouds are high vulnerable to management.
Relatively large amounts of cloud water entering TMCFs from intercepted fog and cloud droplets enable these ecosystems to sustain greater hydrologic budgets and streamflow production than any other ecosystem (including tropical rainforests) (Walmsley et al. 1996, Bruijnzeel 2002a, 2005, Burkard et al. 2003). However, their soils are usually near water saturated which creates a typically low water storage and holding capacity (Bruijnzeel 2004). Despite the abundant humidity, TMCFs general have lower growth and productivity rates compared to tropical moist forests due to reduced sunlight which leads to low temperatures, high relative humidity, and finally low evapotranspiration rates (McGinley 2001).

In sum, the most common hydrological characteristics of TMCFs include (Bruijnzeel 2004): a) foggy and/or cloudy environment, b) exposed ridges or top mountains, c) shallow soils, d) low soil water storage capacity, e) low transpiration rates, f) extra inputs of moisture generated through cloud water interception, g) high runoff coefficients, h) low resilience to (and therefore slow recovery rates following) large and/or prolonged disturbances, and i) physical processes related to water/vapor/clouds are high vulnerable to management., b) exposed ridges or top mountains, c) shallow soils, d) low soil water storage capacity, e) low transpiration rates, f) extra inputs of moisture generated through cloud water interception, g) high runoff coefficients, h) low resilience to (and therefore slow recovery rates following) large and/or prolonged disturbances, and i) physical processes related to water/vapor/clouds are high vulnerable to management.