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Hydrology and Biogeochemistry of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

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Forest Hydrology and Biogeochemistry

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 216))

Abstract

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are differentiated from other forest types by their frequent immersion in fog. This characteristic implies that TMCFs are unique in their hydrological functioning, as they receive a substantial amount of water input via direct deposition of cloud droplets. Because it is generally associated with reduced solar radiation and increased humidity, frequent fog occurrence can lower evapotranspiration (ET). Many TMCFs also have certain characteristic structural and floristic features, which have further hydrological effects. Cloud water is often chemically different from rain water (Heath 2001; Liang et al. 2009); hence, fog deposition can alter inputs of nutrients and other chemicals into the ecosystem. The hydrological, biological, and chemical characteristics of cloud forests give rise to differences in biogeochemical processes as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Manoa, HI, USA

    Thomas W. Giambelluca

  2. Institute of Geography-Department of Landscape Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Gerhard Gerold

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  1. Thomas W. Giambelluca
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  2. Gerhard Gerold
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Correspondence to Thomas W. Giambelluca .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Geography, Center for Climate Research, University of Delaware, Newark, 19716-2541, Delaware, USA

    Delphis F. Levia

  2. , Department of Geography, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, V2C 5N3, British Columbia, Canada

    Darryl Carlyle-Moses

  3. , Department of International Affairs, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan

    Tadashi Tanaka

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Giambelluca, T.W., Gerold, G. (2011). Hydrology and Biogeochemistry of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests. In: Levia, D., Carlyle-Moses, D., Tanaka, T. (eds) Forest Hydrology and Biogeochemistry. Ecological Studies, vol 216. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1363-5_11

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