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Forests of the Clouds in Peru
Tropical cloud forests are found on mountains in the tropics, in areas that receive 20 to 400 inches (500 to 10,000 millimeters) of rain a year. For large, inland mountain systems, cloud forests can be found at altitudes from 6,500 to 11,500 feet (2,000 to 3,500 meters). In exceptionally humid equatorial conditions, a cloud forest zone may develop on small and steep island mountains at elevations as low as 500 meters (1,600 feet).
The persistent clouds affect the vegetation by reducing sunlight, wetting tree canopies, and suppressing evapotranspiration. Leaves and branches draw cloud moisture, which drips to the ground and adds water to the hydrological system. Cloud forests protect watersheds by maintaining ground cover, minimizing soil erosion, and providing a regular and controlled supply of water to communities downstream.
Cloud forest soil is wet and often waterlogged, with humus and peat that make it highly organic. The forests have a profusion of epiphytes, including lichens and filmy ferns. They are exceptionally important habitats for endemic and other threatened species of flora and fauna, including many important tree species and plants such as tree ferns (Cyatheaceae) and orchids (Orchidaceae). More than a thousand species of orchids have been found in the cloud forests of Peru alone.
Most of the species in cloud forests are believed to be still unknown to science.
(From Peru Travel Journal)
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