Class 8 - montane forest

Question 1

What is the range in vegetation type?

Answer 1

From dry woodland to extremely wet forest

Question 2

Why are they one of the most threatened in the world?

Answer 2

Beacuse of humans

Question 3

Why is the cloud forest the most diverse and important?

Answer 3

Filters global air so they seize and incorporate water and nutrients from mist and fog – more diverse than lowland forest

Question 4

What lattitudes are montane forests at?

Answer 4

Found only between northern latitude 23 degrees in Mexico and 25 degree southern latitude in Argentine – and only in mointains

Question 5

Which altitudes do they occur at?

Answer 5

Occur between 500 and 4000 m, majority between 1200 and 2800 m

Question 6

Where do cloud forests occur?

Answer 6

Cloud forests occur in a narrow belt where there is persistent, frequent or seasonal cloud cover at vegetation level

Question 7

What do cloud forests do to the atmosphere?

Answer 7

They cause a conciderable increase in atmospheric humidity = horizontal precipitation

Question 8

What are the most important environmental factors determining TMF?

Answer 8

Horizontal presipitation, reduced photosynthesis due to solar radiation, periodic water shortage, temperate changes, reduction in evapotranspiration rate, exposure to strong winds, limited nutrient uptake

Question 9

What are the main vegetation differences compared to lowland forest?

Answer 9

Reduced tree stature, increased stem density, gnarled trunks and branches, dense crowns

Question 10

What covers trees in TMF?

Answer 10

A complex mosaic like assemblage of epiphytes – plants that obtain water directly from the atmosphere (orchids, ferns, mosses, algae, fungi) blankets the surface of trees and shrubs

Question 11

What does the cover of epiphytes do for trees?

Answer 11

Contributes to an enormous extra above-ground biomass which can retain more water from clouds

Question 12

Where do the most developed TMF occur?

Answer 12

Northern Andes

Question 13

Why do TMF occur at higher elevations on taller mountains?

Answer 13

It is mainly associated with a lowering in the level at which clouds form, the greater the humidity at the mountains base, the lower the cloud level occurs

Question 14

What are the temperature and rainfall ranges?

Answer 14

Annual temps between 8 and 20 degrees, rainfall between 500 and 10,000 mm, mostly between 1000 and 3000

Question 15

What characterises the soil?

Answer 15

Acidic, peaty, yellowish, with organic upper layer – soil characteristics correlate strongly with plant distribution

Question 16

Why do people deforest TMF?

Answer 16

Deforestation has happened for timber, fuelwood, charcoal, made into pastureland = severe land degradation

Question 17

How much mountain landmass does TMF cover globally?

Answer 17

30%

Question 18

What occurs above the treeline?

Answer 18

Above the tree-line occurs a treeless, alpine, cold, wet, misty biome, often dominated by giant stem rosette plants, shrubs, forbs, grasses, bamboo, mosses, lichens

Question 19

Example of a tree in TMF?

Answer 19

There are small, flattened, bonsai-like trees which have curved trunks due to soil creep and slopes – very close together

Question 20

What are the max canopy heights?

Answer 20

Max canopy height between 7 m and 20 m

Question 21

Example of how temperate trees and tropical trees grow together?

Answer 21

In Costa Rica for example, oaks grow and below is a sub-canopy layer with many tree species of both tropical and temperate origin

Question 22

At what elevation do temperate plants start growing?

Answer 22

2000 m

Question 23

What happens in seasonally dry TMF?

Answer 23

There are some seasonally dry montane forests, where pine trees dominate and the forest experiences frequent drought and fire

Question 24

Where is there the most species richness (latitude and altitude)

Answer 24

Species richness decreases with latitude, and is highest at mid-altitude elevations

Question 25

Why high endemism?

Answer 25

Many species on mountaintops which became isolated during last ice age

Question 26

What is a very important and diagnostic species in cloud forests?

Answer 26

Tree fern, diagnostic for cloud forests, occur in almost every cloud forest in the world

Question 27

What plants are there almost an infinite number of species of?

Answer 27

An almost infinite number of orchids, bromeliads, ferns

Question 28

Animals

Answer 28

Endangered spectacled bear, mountain gorilla, tapir, large cats, deer, monkeys, rodents, rabbits, mice, bats

Question 29

What are the main disturbances?

Answer 29

Storms and hurricanes – causes landslides

Question 30

Example of an invasive species in the Andes?

Answer 30

Invasive species from maize agriculture in the Andes 2500-3000 years ago

Question 31

What animal has gone extinct in cloud forests due to climate change?

Answer 31

The golden toad

Question 32

Why is the forest hard to sustainably manage?

Answer 32

Because of climate, slopes, fragile soils

Question 33

What is one successful example of managing TMF?

Answer 33

Planting secondary forest

Question 34

What do rural communities get from TMF?

Answer 34

Forest products, food, fodder, fiber, fuel, medicine, dyes, gums, oils, spices, poisons, plants and pets

Question 35

How many percent of plants did a community in Costa Rica use?

Answer 35

25%

Question 36

How much of cloud forest area is protected?

Answer 36

1/3