Cloud FOrests
Cloud forests differ greatly from the lowland rainforests we typically associate with tropical areas; they get their name from the constant presence of clouds/mist within them. This moisture promotes high diversity of plant species, such as various orchids, lichens, ferns, and mosses; unlike many other forests, however, they consist of only a single story of trees. As elevation increases, the transition from rainforest to cloud forest is seen as a gradual change to smaller, mossy trees. Their smaller size is largely due to the cloud cover they receive; the clouds block a significant amount of light from reaching the forest, so the trees cannot photosynthesize enough to grow as tall as their lowland counterparts.
The most important ecological service provided by cloud forests is the collection of water. Water from the clouds condenses on the vegetation, and eventually makes its way into rivers and streams. It has been estimated that water from cloud forests accounts for up to 1/3 of the water in the previously mentioned montane streams. Epiphytes (air plants) make up a large portion of plants in cloud forests; they also contain/store up to 50,000 liters of water per hectare. The water collected by cloud forests is largely unpolluted, and is usually available year-round. This makes it a valuable water source in many regions; in one part of Honduras, cloud forest-derived water makes up 40% of the water supply for over 850,000 people.
Like the other regions of Ecuador, cloud forests also provide a home for many endemic species of both plants and animals. Examples include the golden tree frog and various tree ferns. In addition, 10% of the world’s endemic bird populations are found in cloud forests. The wild relatives of many crop species also inhabit cloud forests; these include avocado, coffee, and tomatoes. Unfortunately, this has lead to deforestation in many cloud forests, since the location is ideal for mass production of native plants such as coffee and orchids.
I believe that the answer to protecting cloud forests, like the other regions in Ecuador, is to promote ecotourism. Of course, there is a difficult balance that must be upheld between development for tourism and preservation. Our visit to Mindo should prove to be a very educational experience about a type of forest that most people (including myself up until now) know very little about.
The most important ecological service provided by cloud forests is the collection of water. Water from the clouds condenses on the vegetation, and eventually makes its way into rivers and streams. It has been estimated that water from cloud forests accounts for up to 1/3 of the water in the previously mentioned montane streams. Epiphytes (air plants) make up a large portion of plants in cloud forests; they also contain/store up to 50,000 liters of water per hectare. The water collected by cloud forests is largely unpolluted, and is usually available year-round. This makes it a valuable water source in many regions; in one part of Honduras, cloud forest-derived water makes up 40% of the water supply for over 850,000 people.
Like the other regions of Ecuador, cloud forests also provide a home for many endemic species of both plants and animals. Examples include the golden tree frog and various tree ferns. In addition, 10% of the world’s endemic bird populations are found in cloud forests. The wild relatives of many crop species also inhabit cloud forests; these include avocado, coffee, and tomatoes. Unfortunately, this has lead to deforestation in many cloud forests, since the location is ideal for mass production of native plants such as coffee and orchids.
I believe that the answer to protecting cloud forests, like the other regions in Ecuador, is to promote ecotourism. Of course, there is a difficult balance that must be upheld between development for tourism and preservation. Our visit to Mindo should prove to be a very educational experience about a type of forest that most people (including myself up until now) know very little about.