Hydrometeorology and structure of tropical montane cloud forests under contrasting biophysical conditions in north‐western Costa Rica

Abstract

AbstractTropical cloud forests have received increasing attention because of their significance for freshwater supply. This study aimed to understand hydro‐meteorological gradients in relation to spatial changes in forest structure in north‐western Costa Rica. Seven climate stations (measuring rainfall, horizontal precipitation, throughfall, temperature and soil moisture) were installed along a 2·5 km transect between 1200 and 1500 m.a.s.l. on the Atlantic (windward) slope and the Pacific (leeward) slope of the Tilarán mountains. Forest structure was investigated on seven 10 × 50 m plots. Epiphytic vegetation was assessed on six trees at 1450 m and at 1200 m on the Pacific slope. Annual rainfall ranged from 3690 mm on the leeward slope to 6390 mm on the windward side. Horizontal precipitation was 3560 mm at the ridge, where it exceeded rainfall during the dry season, compared to 330 mm and 28 mm at the lowest windward and leeward plots, respectively. Throughfall remained below rainfall on the lower slopes but exceeded rainfall on the ridge. Soil water content ranged between 70% and 80% on the ridge top, where waterlogging occurred frequently. The studied forests were classified as lower montane rain forest, lower montane cloud forest and elfin cloud forest. The greatest canopy heights and basal areas occurred on the leeward slope between 1200 and 1450 m and at the lowest windward plot. Tree heights remained below 15 m on the ridge, where stilt roots occurred frequently. Near the ridge, epiphyte abundance and species richness were greater, compared to the lower leeward slope. These findings prove the importance of horizontal precipitation in the study area, confirm the important role of epiphytes as indicators for moisture gradients and elucidate the variability of forest structure under the given biophysical conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.