Conservation Of Cloud Forests Research Articles

Identifying cloud forest conservation areas in Mexico from the potential distribution of 19 representative species

Cloud forest is a sensitive and vulnerable ecosystem that is threatened by human activities as well as climate change. Previous studies have shown how transitional ecosystems such as cloud forests will be the most negatively impacted by the global increase in temperature. Therefore, the niche modeling framework was used in this study to geographically identify the areas with the climatic potential to host the largest number of key tree species in this ecosystem and to propose them as priority conservation areas. A total of 19 species were modeled using the MaxEnt algorithm; binary maps were generated for each species and combined to produce one potential suitability map and identify climatic priority areas. Thus, 7% of the national area of Mexico shows suitability for the cloud forest ecosystem, although it is currently distributed in less than 1% of the country. Finally, potential suitability areas were compared with natural protected areas, current land use and priority conservation areas. We found that of the current suitable area, only 5% coincides with some federal or state protection regime. Natural protected areas have proven to be a mechanism for forest conservation, so we must consider increasing the number and area of those protected areas that favor the conservation of these key cloud forest species.

Priorización para la Conservación de los Bosques de Niebla en México

Priorización para la Conservación de los Bosques de Niebla en México

The role of frugivorous birds and bats in the colonization of cloud forest plant species in burned areas in western Mexico

The extension of montane cloud forests in western Mexico is threatened by several disturbances that limit their extension. In this study we aim to assess the contribution of birds and bats in the dispersal and colonization of cloud–forest plants in contiguous surface–burned pine forests. We sampled seed rain and sapling establishment over one year in two surface–burned sites, which differed in the size of their closest cloud forest patch. A total of 17 plant species were found, most of which were late–successional trees, shrubs and climbers. Distance influenced the seed rain of only one dispersed taxon (Solanum sp.) and had no effect on the sapling distribution of this or other plants. In turn, marked differences were found between sites, with more seeds dispersed and higher sapling density in the site that was next to the larger cloud forest patch. The role of long–distance dispersers and the existence of seed banks before fire could explain the little importance of distance from seed source on seed dispersal and sapling distribution. Nevertheless, dispersal by birds and bats before or after fire facilitates the regeneration and conservation of cloud forests in disturbed areas formerly occupied by other habitats.

Cloud Forest Conservation in the Central Highlands of Guatemala Hinges on Soil Conservation and Intensifying Food Production

Soil erosion threatens long-term soil fertility and food production in Q’eqchi’ communities native to the Sierra Yalijux and Sierra Sacranix mountain ranges in the central highlands of Guatemala. Environmental factors such as steep topography, erodible soils, and intense precipitation events, combined with land subdivision and reduced fallow periods as a consequence of population growth, contribute to severe erosion and strain soil resources. The preservation of the region's cloud forests hinges on enhancing production of staple crops through agricultural intensification while maintaining soil fertility through implementation of soil conservation measures.

The role of cloud forest restoration on energy security

The conservation of cloud forests has recently been recognized as important for the optimal operation of hydropower infrastructure. However, large areas of cloud forest have been deforested globally, which may suggest that many tropical dams, downstream of these deforested areas, are currently operating at suboptimal levels. This is the case in a country like Colombia where 55% of pre-colonial cloud forests have disappeared. Incentives like Payments for Watershed Services have tried to involve Colombia׳s energy sector in improved watershed conservation with limited success. Since hydropower companies likely benefit significantly from eco-hydrological services provided by cloud forests, a new generation of incentives for facilitating their engagement in ecosystem protection is desperately needed. Through simulation of the effect of cloud forest restoration on the hydropower output of the Calima dam system, using innovative process based eco-hydrological models and dam operational modeling, we explore the implications of cloud forest restoration for energy security and expansion in Colombia and propose an innovative financial mechanism to help engage energy companies further in improved cloud forest protection in Colombia and beyond.

La familia Fagaceae en el bosque mesófilo de montaña de México

El bosque mesófilo de montaña (bmm) en México es uno de los biomas más frágiles, en el cual algunas especies de la familia Fagaceae juegan un papel ecológico clave. Con base en datos obtenidos de revisiones de material de herbario, publicaciones sobre el bmm, verificación en campo y del Sistema de Información de los Bosques Mesófilos de Montaña en México (SI-BMM) elaborado por la Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), se presenta un análisis de la familia Fagaceae en el bmm de México, y en las 13 regiones prioritarias para la conservación del bmm en el país propuestas por la CONABIO. Los resultados muestran que la familia está representada en dicha comunidad por 46 especies de Quercus (32 de la sección Lobatae y 14 de la sección Quercus ) y una de Fagus , de ellas 13 se consideran exclusivas o casi exclusivas de esta comunidad y endémicas de México. De las 13 regiones prioritarias, la región III (Huasteca Alta Hidalguense) resultó la de mayor diversidad con 26 especies, seguida de la V (Centro de Veracruz) con 23, mientras que las regiones VII (Los Tuxtlas) y VIII (Sierra Sur de Michoacán) son las menos diversas con solo dos y cuatro especies respectivamente. El análisis de diversidad ß muestra un recambio de moderado a alto que va de 0.41 a 1 entre las 13 regiones analizadas. Las regiones más similares en cuanto a especies de Fagaceae fueron la III y la V. Las especies de Fagaceae del bmm señaladas con alguna categoría de riesgo o amenaza son 41. Destacan ocho especies de encinos de la sección Lobatae que se consideran críticamente amenazadas y cinco de la sección Quercus en la misma categoría.

Distribution pattern, conservation status, and traditional therapeutic uses of orchids with particular reference to Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, India

vicinity (Valle del Cauca, Colombia). Field and herbarium work were carried out, and material from each species found was collected and documented with pictures and field notes; several specimens from VALLE and CUVC herbaria were also studied. As a main result, 121 species of 53 genera were reported, 10 of which are new species and 2 unrecorded species for the Colombian flora. New species and records are represented as following for these genera: Campylocentrum Benth. (1 new species) Epidendrum L. (5 new species), Lepanthes Sw. (3 new species and a new record), Stelis Sw. (1 new species), and Telipogon Kunth (1 new record). Many educational workshops were conducted with several community members in order to communicate to them the importance of orchid diversity and conservation of cloud forest. Cloud forests of Dapa vicinity are highly diverse and host an important number of Colombian endemic orchid species, although they were disturbed in the last 30 years by the surrounding community that selectively extracted timber trees and orchids. Primary conservation strategies concerning protection of wild orchid populations and their habitats should be formulated and executed in concert with local community and environmental authorities in order to stop the habitat loss of wild orchid populations.

Jewel Scarabs (Chrysinasp.) in Honduras: Key Species for Cloud Forest Conservation Monitoring?

Jewel scarabs, beetles in the genus Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Rutelinae: Scarabaeidae), receive their name from the bright, often gold, green elytra that reflect light like a precious stone. Jewel scarabs are commonly observed at light traps in Mesoamerican cloud forests, and their association with mountain forests makes them potentially interesting candidates for cloud forest conservation monitoring. The absence of survey protocols and identification tools, and the little ecological information available are barriers. In the present study, collection of Chrysina species assembled during biodiversity surveys by Operation Wallacea in Cusuco National Park (CNP), Honduras, were studied. The aim of this overview is to provide an easy to use identification tool for in the field, hopefully stimulating data collection on these beetles. Based on the data associated with the collection localities, elevation distribution of the species in the park was analyzed. The limited data points available were complemented with potential distribution areas generated with distribution models based on climate and elevation data. This study is aimed at initializing the development of a survey protocol for Chrysina species that can be used in cloud forest conservation monitoring throughout Central America. A list of Chrysina species recorded from Honduras so far is provided.The six identified and one unidentified species recorded from CNP are easy to identify in the field based on color and straightforward morphological characteristics. Literature research revealed ten species currently recorded from Honduras. This low species richness in comparison with surrounding Central American countries indicates the poor knowledge of this genus in Honduras. Chrysina species richness in CNP increases with elevation, thereby making the genus one of a few groups of organisms where this correlation is observed, and rendering it a suitable invertebrate representative for cloud forest habitats in Central America.

Up in the Clouds: Is Sustainable Use of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests Possible in Malaysia?

Perched atop misty mountains, tropical montane cloud forests are one of Earth's most imperiled and neglected ecosystems. More than half of these forests occur in Southeast Asia; those in Malaysia are considered some of the best studied in the region. Malaysia has numerous mountains that are exceptionally rich in biodiversity and sustain numerous locally endemic species, but they are also threatened by expanding forestry, agriculture, infrastructure, and global warming. Malaysia serves as an excellent case study to illustrate the issues and challenges associated with tropical cloud forest conservation. We critically assess the current status of Malaysia's cloud forests—focusing on their biological uniqueness and prospects for long-term survival—and propose conservation strategies for agricultural, forestry, tourism, and policy sectors to help conserve these endangered ecosystems. It is our hope that decisionmakers around the region can use our review to evaluate and improve their national strategies relate...

Landscape patterns influencing bird assemblages in a fragmented neotropical cloud forest

The cloud forest is one of the rarest and most threatened ecosystems in Mexico, although it contributes highly to the country's biological diversity and provides important ecological services. It is a naturally fragmented ecosystem, but anthropogenic deforestation and fragmentation has been severe. Consequently, it is essential to identify landscape patterns critical for the conservation of cloud forest. In order to understand how landscape patterns affect diversity in this ecosystem, this study explores the consequences of cloud forest fragmentation on bird diversity in eastern Mexico. I analysed the response of bird species richness and abundance as a function of forest fragment size, shape, topographical complexity, altitudinal range, connectivity, and proportion of landscape forested area in a system of 13 cloud forest fragments. Fragment shape was the main characteristic positively related to species richness in the bird community, but a differential response to landscape patterns was also detected. Fragment size was the main characteristic influencing the segment of the bird community depending mostly on forest, that is to say, forest interior and generalist species. In contrast, the extent of forest edge, expressed as fragment shape, produced a positive response of forest border species. Both, forest dependent and border dependent species positively responded to the extent of their suitable habitat. The immediate and most effective ecologically oriented conservation strategy for the region is the conservation of the largest cloud forest fragments.

Andean Cloud Forest Tree Lines

We challenge the paradigm of natural tree line formation in the equatorial Andes with an alternate view that incorporates the human dimension. We present both direct and indirect evidence of anthropogenic influences on cloud forest tree line location; these human influences should be incorporated in definitions of Andean tree lines as (1) the extensification of grassland for grazing and potato cultivation for the upper limit, and (2) the intensification of the agricultural frontier, fuelwood gathering, and timber extraction for the lower limit. Although we do not claim to fully debunk the prevalent paradigm of tree line dynamics (which is descriptive, depends on the natural sciences, and sees tree lines as physically controlled), we hope to achieve increased recognition for a challenging alternate view of tropical tree lines as functional, resource-use dependent, and human-driven. Management plans and overall tropical montane cloud forest conservation strategies need to consider this new perspective and incorporate a proactive and assertive approach toward restoration of Andean forests in a way that will encourage landscape diversity in tropical mountain ecoregions.

Track analysis and conservation priorities in the cloud forests of Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract . A track analysis based on the distributional patterns of 967 species of vascular plant taxa (gymnosperms, angiosperms and pteridophytes) was performed to assess conservation priorities for cloud forests in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, ranged in the municipalities of Chapulhuacán, Eloxochitlán, Molocotlán, Pisaflores, Tenango de Doria, Tlahuelompa and Tlanchinol, as well as five floristically equivalent areas in the states of Veracruz (Teocelo and Helechales), Tamaulipas (Gómez Farías), Morelos‐México (Ocuilan) and Oaxaca (Huautla de Jiménez). In order to detect generalized tracks we employed a new parsimony method, where clades (considered equivalent to generalized tracks) are defined forbidding homoplasy and acting like a compatibility algorithm. Several generalized tracks were found connecting these areas. Cloud forests of Chapulhuacán were connected according to three different generalized tracks and thus have a higher value, qualifying as a priority area for the conservation of cloud forests in the state of Hidalgo.

Mountain Cloud Forest Conservation and Research: A Synopsis

Mountain cloud forests (also known as nebelwald, fort strategies for achieving conservation and better management of cloud forests are discussed and, finally, from a symposium and workshop attended by cloud forest researchers and managers, a set of high priority research topics is presented.