Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T22:46:23.345Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Structural characteristics and floristic composition of a Neotropical cloud forest, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Nalini M. Nadkarni ,
Teri J. Matelson  and
William A. Haber
Nalini M. Nadkarni
Affiliation:
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34236, USA
Teri J. Matelson
Affiliation:
Monteverde, Apartado 10165, San José 1000, Costa Rica
William A. Haber
Affiliation:
Monteverde, Apartado 10165, San José 1000, Costa Rica, and Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, St Louis, Missouri 63166–0299, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve protects a variety of primary montane forest communities on volcanic parent materials. We describe the structure and composition of the forest to provide background information for epiphyte and nutrient cycling studies and for comparison with other tropical montane forests. In a 4-ha study plot in leeward cloud forest, density of stems (2062 individuals ha−1 for stems >2 cm dbh, 555 individuals ha−1 for stems > 10cm dbh) and stem basal area (73.8 m2 ha−1 for stems >2 cm, 62.0 m2 ha−1 for stems >10 cm dbh) were high relative to other montane forests. Stems in a subset of the plot (c. 1/3 of the area) were identified and assigned to 47 families, 83 genera and 114 species, which is rich compared with other montane forests. Large stems had a higher spatial variability of structural and floristic characteristics than small stems.

Keywords

cloud forestCosta Ricaforest structuremontane wet forestMonteverdeNeotropics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , November 1995 , pp. 481 - 495
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Edwards, P. J. 1977. Studies in a montane rain forest in New Guinea. II. The production and disappearance of litter. Journal of Ecology 65:971–922.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, P. J. & Grubb, P. J. 1977. Studies of mineral cycling in a montane rain forest in New Guinea. I. The distribution of organic matter in the vegetation and soil. Journal of Ecology 65:943–969.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grubb, P. J., Lloyd, J. R., Pennington, T. D. A. & Whitmore, T. C. 1963. A comparison of montane and lowland rain forest in Ecuador. I. The forest structure, physiognomy, and floristics. Journal of Ecology 51:567–601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haber, W. 1991. Lista provisional de las plants de Monteverde, Costa Rica. Brenesia 34:63–120.Google Scholar
Heaney, A. & Proctor, J. 1990. Preliminary studies on forest structure and floristics on Volcan Barva, Costa Rica. Journal of Tropical Ecology 6:307–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holdridge, L. R. 1967. Lift zone ecology. Tropical Science Center, San Jose, Costa Rica. 206 pp.Google Scholar
Induni, G. E.A., 1989. Los volcanes de Costa Rica. Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia. San Jose, Costa Rica.Google Scholar
Lawton, R. O. & Dryer, V. J. 1980. The vegetation of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Brenesia 18:101–116.Google Scholar
Nadkarni, N. 1984. Epiphyte biomass and nutrient capital of a neotropical elfin forest. Biotropica 16:249–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadkarni, N. 1986. An ecological overview and checklist of epiphytes in the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Brenesia 24:55–62.Google Scholar
Proctor, J., Lee, Y. F., Langley, A. M., Munro, W. R. C. & Nelson, T. 1988. Ecological studies on Gunung Silam, a small ultrabasic mountain in Sabah, Malaysia. I. Environment, forest structure and floristics. Journal of Ecology 76:320–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tanner, E. V. J. 1977. Four montane rain forests of Jamaica: a quantitative characterization of the floristics, the soils and the foliar mineral levels, and a discussion of the interrelations. Journal of Ecology 65:883–918.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vance, E. & Nadkarni, N. 1990. Microbial biomass and activity in canopy organic matter and the forest floor of a tropical cloud forest. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 22:677–684.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, P. L. & Murphy, P. G. 1990. Forest structure and productivity in Puerto Rico's Luquillo Mountains. Biotropica 22:69–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheelwright, N. T., Haber, W. A., Murray, G. A. & Guindon, C. 1984. Tropical fruit-eating birds and their food plants: a survey of a Costa Rican lower montane forest. Biotropica 16:173–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar