. Cloud Forest Agenda. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 20. Cio-jd forest agenda tropical montane cloud forest is used to include all forests in the humid tropics that are frequently covered in clouds or mist and so, in addition to rainfall, capture water droplets that condense on the vegetation. The presence of clouds and this additional input of water significantly influence the hydrology, ecology and soil properties of cloud forests IStadtmuller, 1987]. The experience of being in a cloud forest is typically. one of an abundance of lush, evergreen vegetation in a cool, humid atmosphere. If the
. Cloud Forest Agenda. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 20. Cio-jd forest agenda tropical montane cloud forest is used to include all forests in the humid tropics that are frequently covered in clouds or mist and so, in addition to rainfall, capture water droplets that condense on the vegetation. The presence of clouds and this additional input of water significantly influence the hydrology, ecology and soil properties of cloud forests IStadtmuller, 1987]. The experience of being in a cloud forest is typically. one of an abundance of lush, evergreen vegetation in a cool, humid atmosphere. If the clouds are in the forest, or have recently passed through, there is a constant sound of water dripping from the leaves. One of the characteristics of cloud forests is the quantity and diversity of ferns, mosses, orchids and other plants growing on every rock, tree trunk and branch surface. The form and appearance of tropical montane cloud forests vary greatly according to how exposed they are to the prevailing winds and clouds, their altitude and local soil types. On lower mountain slopes, cloud forest trees are usually 15-20 m tall. At higher altitudes, where the forest is more consistently in the clouds and winds are greater, the trees are more stunted and covered in more epiphytes. Descriptions of the different types of cloud forest, such as lower and upper montane and subalpine, can be found in Bruijnzeel and Hamilton [2000) and on the Mountain Cloud Forest Initiative web pages. Cloud forests occur within a wide range of annual and seasonal rainfall patterns, from 500-6 000 mm/year. They are found wherever clouds and mist are frequently in contact with a mountain slope. They typically form a belt of vegetation over an elevational range of about 500 m, but there is considerable variation in the altitude at which they are found. On large inland mountain systems cloud forests may typically occur between 2 000 and 3 500 m, whereas in coastal and insular mountains this zone may
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