Biogeography of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests. Part II: Mapping of Orographic Cloud Immersion

Abstract This study details two unique methods to quantify cloud-immersion statistics for tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs). The first technique uses a new algorithm for determining cloud-base height using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud products, and the second method uses numerical atmospheric simulation along with geostationary satellite data. Cloud-immersion statistics are determined using MODIS data for March 2003 over the study region consisting of Costa Rica, southern Nicaragua, and northern Panama. Comparison with known locations of cloud forests in northern Costa Rica shows that the MODIS-derived cloud-immersion maps successfully identify known cloud-forest locations in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) database. Large connected regions of cloud immersion are observed in regions in which the trade wind flow is directly impinging upon the mountain slopes; in areas in which the flow is parallel to the slopes, a fractured spatial distribution of TMCFs is observed. Comparisons of the MODIS-derived cloud-immersion map with the model output show that the MODIS product successfully captures the important cloud-immersion patterns in the Monteverde region of Costa Rica. The areal extent of cloud immersion is at a maximum during morning hours and at a minimum during the afternoon, before increasing again in the evening. Cloud-immersion frequencies generally increase with increasing elevation and tend to be higher on the Caribbean Sea side of the mountains. This study shows that the MODIS data may be used successfully to map the biogeography of cloud forests and to quantify cloud immersion over cloud-forest locations.

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Biogeography of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests. Part I: Remote Sensing of Cloud-Base Heights

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology ◽

10.1175/2007jamc1668.1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 960-975 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ronald M. Welch ◽

Salvi Asefi ◽

Jian Zeng ◽

Udaysankar S. Nair ◽

Qingyuan Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Temperature Profile ◽

Liquid Water ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Retrieval Algorithm ◽

Mean Square ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Orographic Clouds ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests ◽

Mean Square Errors ◽

Cloud Thickness

Abstract Cloud-base heights over tropical montane cloud forests are determined using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud products and National Centers for Environmental Prediction global tropospheric final analysis (FNL) fields. Cloud-base heights are computed by subtracting cloud thickness estimates from cloud-top height estimates. Cloud-top pressures determined from the current MODIS retrieval algorithm often have serious cloud-top pressure retrieval errors at pressures > 700 hPa. The problem can be easily remedied by matching cloud-top temperature derived from the 11-μm channel to the dewpoint temperature profile (instead of the temperature profile) obtained from the FNL dataset. The FNL dataset at 1° spatial resolution produced results that were nearly equivalent to those derived from radiosonde measurements. The following three different approaches for estimating cloud thickness are examined: 1) the constant liquid water method, 2) the empirical method, and 3) the adiabatic model method. The retrieval technique is applied first for stratus clouds over U.S. airports for 12 cases, with cloud-base heights compared with ceilometer measurements. Mean square errors on the order of 200 m result. Then, the approach is applied to orographic clouds over Monteverde, Costa Rica, with estimated cloud-base heights compared with those derived from photographs. Mean square errors on the order of 100 m result. Both the empirical and adiabatic model approaches produce superior results when compared with the constant liquid water (CLW) approach. This is due to the fact that CLW is more sensitive to natural variations in cloud optical thickness.

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The functional roles of epiphytes and arboreal soils in tropical montane cloud forests

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s026646741600033x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 455-468 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Sybil G. Gotsch ◽

Nalini Nadkarni ◽

Autumn Amici

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Function ◽

Forest Floor ◽

Water Storage ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Stand Age ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Functional Roles ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

Abstract:Epiphytes and their associated decomposing litter and arboreal soils (herein, epiphytic material, EM) are ubiquitous features of tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) and play important roles in ecosystem function. EM intercepts water and nutrients from the atmosphere and from intercepted host tree sources, and may contribute significant inputs of these resources to the forest floor. Despite the importance of EM in the TMCF, a systematic review of the ecosystem roles of EM has not been compiled before. We have synthesized the literature that documents functions of EM in undisturbed TMCFs and discuss how these roles may be affected by disturbances, including changes in climate and land use. The range of EM biomass and water storage in the TMCF varies greatly across sites, with different amounts associated with stand age and microclimate. EM is important as habitat and food for birds and mammals, with over 200 species of birds documented as using EM in the Neotropics. Given its sensitivity to moisture, projected shifts in cloud base heights or precipitation due to changes in climate will likely have a large impact on this community and changes in EM diversity or abundance may have cascading impacts on the ecosystem function of the TMCF.

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An allometric scaling approach to estimate epiphytic bryophyte biomass in tropical montane cloud forests

10.1101/2020.02.01.928515 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guan-Yu Lai ◽

Hung-Chi Liu ◽

Ariel J. Kuo ◽

Cho-ying Huang

Keyword(s):

Allometric Scaling ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Ground Level ◽

Biomass Estimation ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Study Region ◽

Conversion Model ◽

Point Measure ◽

Stem Surface Area ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

AbstractEpiphytic bryophytes (EB) are some of the most commonly found plant species in tropical montane cloud forests, and they play a disproportionate role in influencing the terrestrial hydrological and nutrient cycles. However, it is difficult to estimate the abundance of EB due to the nature of their “epiphytic” habitat. This study proposes an allometric scaling approach to measure EB biomass, implemented in 16,773 ha tropical montane cloud forests of northeastern Taiwan. A general allometry was developed to estimate EB biomass of 100 cm2 circular-shaped mats (n = 131) and their central depths. A point-intercept instrument was invented to measure the depths of EB along tree trunks (n = 210) below 3-m from the ground level (sampled stem surface area [SSA]) in twenty-one 30 × 30 m plots. Biomass of EB of each point measure was derived using the general allometry and was aggregated across each SSA, and its performance was evaluated. Total EB biomass of a tree was estimated by referring to an in-situ conversion model and was interpolated for all trees in the plots (n = 1451). Finally, we assessed EB biomass density at the plot scale and preliminarily estimated EB biomass of the study region. The general EB biomass-depth allometry showed that the depth of an EB mat was a salient variable for biomass estimation (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.001). The performance of upscaling from mats to SSA was satisfactory, which allowed us to further estimate mean (± standard deviation) EB biomass of the 21 plots (272 ± 104 kg ha-1) and to provide preliminary estimation of the total EB biomass of 4562 Mg for the study region. Since a significant relationship between tree size and EB abundance is commonly found, regional EB biomass may be mapped by integrating our method and three-dimensional airborne data.

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Analyzing cloud base at local and regional scales to understand tropical montane cloud forest vulnerability to climate change

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-17-7245-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 7245-7259 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ashley E. Van Beusekom ◽

Grizelle González ◽

Martha A. Scholl

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Dry Season ◽

Cloud Formation ◽

Radiosonde Data ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Trade Wind ◽

Caribbean Region ◽

Regional Warming

Abstract. The degree to which cloud immersion provides water in addition to rainfall, suppresses transpiration, and sustains tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) during rainless periods is not well understood. Climate and land use changes represent a threat to these forests if cloud base altitude rises as a result of regional warming or deforestation. To establish a baseline for quantifying future changes in cloud base, we installed a ceilometer at 100 m altitude in the forest upwind of the TMCF that occupies an altitude range from ∼ 600 m to the peaks at 1100 m in the Luquillo Mountains of eastern Puerto Rico. Airport Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) ceilometer data, radiosonde data, and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite data were obtained to investigate seasonal cloud base dynamics, altitude of the trade-wind inversion (TWI), and typical cloud thickness for the surrounding Caribbean region. Cloud base is rarely quantified near mountains, so these results represent a first look at seasonal and diurnal cloud base dynamics for the TMCF. From May 2013 to August 2016, cloud base was lowest during the midsummer dry season, and cloud bases were lower than the mountaintops as often in the winter dry season as in the wet seasons. The lowest cloud bases most frequently occurred at higher elevation than 600 m, from 740 to 964 m. The Luquillo forest low cloud base altitudes were higher than six other sites in the Caribbean by ∼ 200–600 m, highlighting the importance of site selection to measure topographic influence on cloud height. Proximity to the oceanic cloud system where shallow cumulus clouds are seasonally invariant in altitude and cover, along with local trade-wind orographic lifting and cloud formation, may explain the dry season low clouds. The results indicate that climate change threats to low-elevation TMCFs are not limited to the dry season; changes in synoptic-scale weather patterns that increase frequency of drought periods during the wet seasons (periods of higher cloud base) may also impact ecosystem health.

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Analyzing cloud base at local and regional scales to understand tropical montane cloud forest vulnerability to climate change

10.5194/acp-2016-1166 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ashley E. Van Beusekom ◽

Grizelle González ◽

Martha A. Scholl

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Dry Season ◽

Cloud Formation ◽

Radiosonde Data ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Trade Wind ◽

Caribbean Region ◽

Regional Warming

Abstract. The degree to which cloud immersion provides water in addition to rainfall, suppresses transpiration, and sustains tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) during rainless periods is not well understood. Climate and land use changes represent a threat to these forests if cloud base altitude rises as a result of regional warming or deforestation. To establish a baseline for quantifying future changes in cloud base, we installed a ceilometer at 100 m altitude in the forest upwind of the TMCF occupying an altitude range from ~ 600 m to the peaks at 1100 m in the Luquillo Mountains of Eastern Puerto Rico. Airport ASOS ceilometer data, radiosonde data, and CALIPSO satellite data were obtained to calculate seasonal cloud base dynamics, altitude of the trade-wind inversion and typical cloud thickness for the surrounding Caribbean region. Cloud base is rarely quantified near mountains, so these results represent a first look at seasonal and diurnal cloud base dynamics for the TMCF. From May 2013–August 2016, cloud base at Luquillo was lowest during the mid-summer dry season, and cloud bases were lower than the mountaintops as often in the winter dry season as in the wet seasons. The Luquillo low cloud base altitudes were higher than six other sites in the Caribbean by ~ 200–600 m, highlighting the importance of site selection to measure topographic influence on cloud height. Proximity to the oceanic cloud system where lower clouds are seasonally invariant in altitude and cover; along with orographic lifting and trade-wind generated cloud formation, may explain the dry season low clouds. The results indicate climate change threats to low-elevation TMCFs are not limited to the dry season; changes in synoptic-scale weather patterns that increase frequency of drought periods during the wet seasons (periods of higher cloud base) may also impact ecosystem health.

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Three new species of Ficus (Moraceae) from Central and northern-South America

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.188.1.3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 188 (1) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Nicolás Medina

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Costa Rica ◽

South America ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Species Conservation ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Biogeographic Region ◽

Northern South America ◽

Conservation Assessments ◽

Three New Species

Three new species of Ficus are described and illustrated. F. nebulosilvana which is restricted to the cloud forest of western Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, F. palmarensis which is restricted to the cloud forests of Chocó in Colombia, and F. plectonervata which is distributed from the central biogeographic region of Chocó in Colombia to Costa Rica. Species conservation assessments are presented and the taxonomic relationships of the new species and etymology are discussed.

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Diversity and Distribution of Avifauna at the Tropical Montane Cloud Forests of Horton Plains National Park

Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment ◽

10.31357/jtfe.v8i1.3481 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

P.H.S.P Chandrasiri ◽

W.D.S.C. Dharmarathne ◽

W.A.D Mahaulpatha

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Similarity Index ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Common Species ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Forest Habitat ◽

Endemic Birds ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

Diversity and distribution of avifauna was studied at the tropical montane cloud forests of Horton Plains National Park, situated in the highland plateau of the Nuwara Eliya district from September 2015 to May 2016. Three main habitats were identified; cloud forest habitat, cloud forest die-back habitat and grassland habitat. Nine, 300 m line transects were marked in each of the habitats. Avifauna was recorded on three consecutive days of each month while travelling along these transects. Seventy eight species of birds were recorded during the study period. This included 66 resident species (with 13 endemic species) and 12 migratory species. The maximum value of the Shannon Wiener Index H' of 2.56 was recorded from the cloud forest habitat. In the cloud forest die-back habitat the H' was 2.49 and in the grassland habitat the H' was 2.31.The Jaccard similarity index, between cloud forest and cloud forest die-back was 0.58, and these two habitats had more common species. Cloud forest is the major habitat to be protected, with other habitats, in HPNP. Hence management of the HPNP should plan more actions to improve long term monitoring plans to warrant the protection of threatened species.Keywords: bird diversity and distribution, endemic birds, Horton Plains, tropical montane cloud forest

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Leaf Vein Morphological Variation in Four Endangered Neotropical Magnolia Species along an Elevation Gradient in the Mexican Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10122595 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2595

Author(s):

Ernesto C. Rodríguez-Ramírez ◽

Leccinum J. García-Morales ◽

Othón Alcántara-Ayala ◽

J. Antonio Vázquez-García ◽

Isolda Luna-Vega

Keyword(s):

Climatic Factors ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Elevation Gradient ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Climatic Oscillations ◽

Leaf Vein ◽

Climate Change Effects ◽

Broad Leaf ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

Climatic variations influence the adaptive capacity of trees within tropical montane cloud forests species. Phenology studies have dominated current studies on tree species. Leaf vein morphology has been related to specific climatic oscillations and varies within species along altitudinal gradients. We tested that certain Neotropical broad leaf Magnolia species might be more vulnerable to leaf vein adaptation to moisture than others, as they would be more resilient to the hydric deficit. We assessed that leaf vein trait variations (vein density, primary vein size, vein length, and leaf base angle) among four Magnolia species (Magnolia nuevoleonensis, M. alejandrae, M. rzedowskiana, and Magnolia vovidesii) through the Mexican Tropical montane cloud forest with different elevation gradient and specific climatic factors. The temperature, precipitation, and potential evaporation differed significantly among Magnolia species. We detected that M. rzedowskiana and M. vovidesii with longer leaves at higher altitude sites are adapted to higher humidity conditions, and that M. nuevoleonensis and M. alejandrae inhabiting lower altitude sites are better adjusted to the hydric deficit. Our results advance efforts to identify the Magnolia species most vulnerable to climate change effects, which must focus priorities for conservation of this ecosystem, particularly in the Mexican tropical montane cloud forests.

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Alerta en el bosque mesófilo de montaña veracruzano

UVserva ◽

10.25009/uvserva.v0i6.2587 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Marco A. Espinoza Guzmán ◽

Sabel Prieto Balan ◽

Carlos R. Cerdán Cabrera ◽

Margarito Paéz Rodriguez ◽

Gerardo Ortiz Ceballos

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Satellite Images ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Economic Importance ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Watershed Land Use ◽

Bosque Mesófilo De Montaña ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests ◽

Coffee Cultivation

El desarrollo de actividades humanas dentro del Bosque Mesófilo de Montaña causa serias amenazas de importancia ambiental y económica que tiene este ecosistema en Veracruz. Esta nota presenta una estimación del área de bosque que se ha perdido a lo largo de 17 años, trabajo que se ha realizado con ayuda de imágenes satelitales de 1999, 2010 y 2016. La principal causa de pérdida de bosque es el cambio de uso de suelo hacia áreas de infraestructura.Palabras clave: Bosque mesófilo; cambio de uso de suelo; cafeticultura; cuenca La Antigua; imágenes satelitales AbstractHuman activities in tropical montane cloud forests cause serious threats to its environmental and economic importance in Veracruz. This note reports an estimate of how much cloud forest area has been lost over 17 years, research that has been done with the help of satellite images from 1999, 2010, and 2016. The main cause of cloud forest loss is land use change to infrastructure areas.Keywords: coffee cultivation, La Antigua watershed, land-use change, satellite images, tropical montane cloud forests

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New records of Ascomycetes from the Tropical Montane Cloud Forests of eastern Mexico

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.454.3.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 454 (3) ◽

pp. 161-185

Author(s):

TANIA RAYMUNDO ◽

RICARDO VALENZUELA ◽

JULIO CESAR RAMÍREZ-MARTÍNEZ ◽

MICHELLE MARTÍNEZ-PINEDA ◽

AURORA COBOS VILLAGRÁN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Records ◽

Vegetation Type ◽

Cloud Forest ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forest ◽

Ecological Studies ◽

Cloud Forests ◽

Montane Cloud Forest ◽

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

The tropical montane cloud forest is an important reservoir of the diversity of Mexican ascomycetes. We cite and describe 17 species that had not been recorded in this vegetation type. Fifteen of them are new records for Mexico. Some of these species are associated with angiosperms and some with other fungi. Ongoing efforts are required to carry out floristic, taxonomic, phylogenetic and ecological studies of this group of fungi in such a diverse ecosystem that is cataloged as threatened.

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