Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- 1 Setting the stage
- 2 Modeling the tropics-wide extent and distribution of cloud forest and cloud forest loss, with implications for conservation priority
- 3 The climate of cloud forests
- 4 Changes in mist immersion
- 5 Ecology and ecophysiology of epiphytes in tropical montane cloud forests
- 6 Global and local variations in tropical montane cloud forest soils
- 7 Nutrient cycling and nutrient limitation in tropical montane cloud forests
- 8 What is the state of tropical montane cloud forest restoration?
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
5 - Ecology and ecophysiology of epiphytes in tropical montane cloud forests
from Part I - General perspectives
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2011
By
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- 1 Setting the stage
- 2 Modeling the tropics-wide extent and distribution of cloud forest and cloud forest loss, with implications for conservation priority
- 3 The climate of cloud forests
- 4 Changes in mist immersion
- 5 Ecology and ecophysiology of epiphytes in tropical montane cloud forests
- 6 Global and local variations in tropical montane cloud forest soils
- 7 Nutrient cycling and nutrient limitation in tropical montane cloud forests
- 8 What is the state of tropical montane cloud forest restoration?
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
Summary
ABSTRACT
Because several reviews of epiphyte ecology and physiology are already available, this chapter focuses on what is particular about epiphyte ecology in cloud forests as opposed to lowland rain forests. The combination of high atmospheric humidity, frequent precipitation and low temperature results in much lower drought stress, which enables a denser colonization of exposed twigs with no “canopy soil” (humus), and the survival of small species, small individuals with little internal water storage, and species with no adaptations to drought. Because juveniles have the highest mortality with drought as the most important factor, water availability in most cases explains why cloud forest epiphytes do not occur in lowland forests. Species not occurring in cloud forests are limited by low temperatures (particularly in sub-tropical and upper montane areas) or excessive humidity (particularly bromeliads). The lower temperatures in cloud forests reduce night-time respiration, resulting in higher growth of non-vascular epiphytes. This, together with lower decomposition rates, leads to the formation of thick layers of canopy soil, providing a rooting substrate for vascular epiphytes. The very high living and dead epiphytic biomass plays an important role in the nutrient and hydrological cycles of tropical montane cloud forests.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Tropical Montane Cloud ForestsScience for Conservation and Management, pp. 67 - 76Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
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