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3 - The climate of cloud forests

from Part I - General perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2011

By
A. Jarvis  and
M. Mulligan
Edited by
L. A. Bruijnzeel ,
F. N. Scatena  and
L. S. Hamilton
A. Jarvis
Affiliation:
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia
M. Mulligan
Affiliation:
King's College London, UK
L. A. Bruijnzeel
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
F. N. Scatena
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
L. S. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

ABSTRACT

This chapter analyzes the climatic conditions where cloud forests are reported. Spatial data-sets of climate, derived from the WorldClim database, were used to describe the climate in 477 cloud forest sites identified by UNEP–WCMC with 85% of the sites being found at altitudes between 400 and 2800 m.a.s.l., with an average altitude of slightly less than 1700 m. The range of altitudes at which cloud forests are found is impressive (220–5005 m). The climate of cloud forests is highly variable from site to site, with an average rainfall of c. 2000 mm year−1 and an average temperature of 17.7 °C. In addition, cloud forests are found in seasonal and aseasonal environments alike, both in terms of rainfall and temperature. There are some clear differences in the climates of cloud forests found in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia. Comparisons are made between the climate of cloud forest sites and of randomly generated sites covering forested areas throughout the montane tropics, with the aim of identifying the climatic variables most important in distinguishing cloud forests from other tropical forests. Cloud forests are found to be wetter (by 184 mm year−1 on average), cooler (by 4.2 °C on average), and less seasonally variable than other montane forests. The most statistically significant climatic differences between cloud forests and other montane forests in order of significance are: maximum temperature > mean temperature > rainfall > rainfall seasonality. […]

Type
Chapter
Information
Tropical Montane Cloud Forests
Science for Conservation and Management
 , pp. 39 - 56
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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