First created 5 Jun 2013. Version 1.0 - 10 Jun 2013. Jerry Tse. London.

A Cloud ForestA walk in a Tropical Forest

The green areas show the distribution of the world’s forests

Distribution of world’s Forests

Type of Forests

Coniferous ForestTemperate ForestTropical Forest

There are many more types of forest than shown. Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF) is a distinctive forest type.

Examples

Rainforest - Amazon Bamboo Forest - Hawaii Taiga Forest - Canada

What is a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest, TMCF

Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (FMCF) also called High Altitude Tropical Forest or simple Cloud Forest or Fog Forest or Mossy Forest, is characterized by a persistent or seasonal low-level of cloud cover or wind-driven clouds.

Cloud forests (TMCF) are often covered with mosses and vegetations. It is a type of evergreen forest. Typically they are about 1500m to 3000m above sea level.

From the above table 48% of the world’s TMCF are found in Asia, 35% in Americas and 17% in Africa.

A walk in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest

A forest is often covered by low drifting clouds

We got up in the night and drove to the highest point on the Malaysian Peninsula that can be reached by road, Gunung Brinchang.

Gunung Brinchang

As the sun rose, we were 2100 m high (6600 feet) surrounded by clouds. The temperature dropped to a single digit with strong winds.

Sunrise in Cloud

A source of high quality water

Clouds were forced up the mountain by the onshore wind. The temperature fell as the altitude increased. Dews were formed as the clouds made contact with the vegetation. This is called “cloud stripping”.

Up to 50-60% of the moisture in the cloud can be ‘stripped’ away this way.

Cloud stripping.

Plants were dripping with water. The forest acts like a sponge, soaking up water and then released back to the surrounding areas.

high quality water

Cloud forests provide a source of clean water for the areas below the mountain, even during the dry seasons.

A constant source of water

The Mossy Forest (TMCF) in Gunung Brinchang is about 200,000 years old. The biodiversity of the Cloud forests (TMCF) are rich. They rank only after the low altitude Tropical Rainforests.

Biodiversity of Cloud Forest

Low Productivity

It is surprising to learn that Cloud Forests have low productivity. There are no giant hard wood trees. Instead trees look stunted and their stature reduced to about 10m high, with increased stem density. All these are signs of slow growth. An ordinary looking tree may take tens if not a hundred years to grow.

Low Productivity

The low productivity and stunted growth of the forest may be due to - water saturated soil, making it difficult for roots to breathe; poor soil often with underlying rocks; reduced photosynthesis as the sun is frequently blocked by the clouds; low temperature and strong wind because of the high altitude; lastly low rate of decomposition and mineralization. The soil acidity is very high.

Epiphytes plants

Cloud forest is very rich in epiphytes, which are plants that grow on another plant or building or post, but non-parasitical. They take their moisture and nutrients directly from the air. Examples are mosses, lichens, algae, ferns, orchids and bromeliads.

Epiphytes plants

A tree trunk is covered with epiphytic plants. Most Cloud forest plants have smaller, thicker and harder leaves. Many show a waxy appearance. Coloured leaves, particularly red are common.

The pitcher plant is a climbing epiphyte, belonging to the genus of Napenthes. It is a carnivorous plants. It traps insects into its ‘cup’ of digesting enzyme, which in turn provides phosphorus and nitrogen for the plant. Like all carnivorous plants, they grow in location where the soil is poor in minerals and/or too acidic for most plants to survive.

Pitcher Plant

Cloud forests are covered with mosses. Another name for Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF) is Mossy Forests

Moss

Mosses absorb water and nutrients mainly through their leaves. Mosses are the most ancient plant on land today.

Moss

There are some 12000 species of moss today. Each standing plant is a moss, which can either be a male or female.

Moss

Close-up on mosses. These are hypnum moss (cypress-leaved plait-moss). It is a common and widespread species found in all continents except Antarctica. It is a typically grown on tree trunks, logs, walls and rocks etc. It prefers an acidic environment. It was formerly used as fillings for pillows and mattresses. The association with sleep is the origin of the genus name Hypnum (from Greek Hyponos).

Hypnum Moss

Close-up on mosses (yellowish). Unidentified plants with green and white leaves with stems, may not even be mosses.

Moss

Moss

On the right is a thick carpet of mosses (possibly Dicranoloma billardiere), with its very slender long leaves and furry appearance. The purple patch (bottom left) of vegetation is possibly a species of liverwort.

A group of unidentified tiny plants growing along side with mosses (the even smaller plants on the photo), but with stems supporting leaves, arranged like ferns.

Epiphytes plants

Fruits or capsules of an unidentified epiphytic plant amongst mosses, a brown network of tentacles.

Epiphytes plants

Rhododendron

A cluster of pink flower from a rhododendron tree, very different from our garden varieties. In China, the Big Tree rhododendron (Rhododendron protistum var giganteum) can grow up to 25m.

Forest Floor

The forest flood with mosses, ferns and shrubs. The forest floor is very acidic.

Wild white orchid flower. Many of the more exotic species of orchid have been dug up and removed by horticulturists.

Wild Orchid

Wild white orchid flowers.

Wild Orchid

A bamboo with leaves fluttering in a strong updraght.

Bamboo

Red Leaves

It is common to find young red leaves in the forest. Some researchers (P D Coley, TM Aide, Utah) suggested that red colour in young leaves maybe due to antifungal defence.

Epiphytes plants

A group of epiphytic plants with claw-like seed pods, spouting on a carpet of dead mosses on a healthy old tree.

Fern

Some ferns are found on trees but the majority of them are on the forest floor.

Flowering Plant

Two unidentified lipstick-like tubular red flowers, with five or six petals and fused at one end, on a thick green waxy leaves plant.

An unidentified plant with small yellow flower-like leaves on a plant with large green, waxy and thick leaves.

Flowering Plant

Unidentified small white flowers. According to one report the largest family of plant in the Gunung Brinchang Cloud forest belongs to the Rubiaceae family of plants (the coffee family).

Flowering Plant

Isolated Ecosystem

Because TMCFs are found on mountain top, they tend to be smaller than the Tropical Rainforests and are often isolated by altitude from other TMCFs.

Endemism

Cloud Forests provide habitat for many rare and unique flowers, birds, monkeys, frogs and animals. One such species is the Mountain Gorillas of Central Africa. In the Cloud forest at Gunung Brinchang, it has 9 species that are endemic to Malaysia and 1 species endemic to Cameron Highlands. This is known as endemism and often associated with TMCF.

Locally it is called “Purple Cobra Lily” (Arisaema filiforme). It is a very rare flower. It is not carnivorous. It can change sex based on nutrition. It belongs to the Aroideae family of plant, which is structurally different from other flowers, with a hood and a large spadix. We found this just outside the perimeter of the Cloud Forest by the road side.

Cobra Lily

The “Purple Cobra Lily” grows at elevation over 1800m. It is only found in this area in Malaysia. Species like this is often isolated from others by altitude.

Cobra Lily

Finally we said goodbye to the Tropical Montane Cloud Forest of Gunung Brinchang, Malaysia. It is often covered with clouds.

Cloud Forest, Gunung Brinchang

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The End

Music – Enya. Calm Winds.