Cloud Forests
By JORGE SALAVERRI
Special to Honduras This Week
Because of its mountainous topography, Honduras has more
cloud forests than any other country in Central America, boasting
nearly 40. The largest cloud forests have been made into national
parks. Others are wildlife refuges, biological reserves or simply
water protection areas. Of the 13 national parks located in
Honduras, 12 are located in highland cloud forests.
 These cloud
forests are
the source of
life for the
rest of
Honduras.
They are
veritable pure
water
factories.
Trees,
mosses,
bromeliads and the humus of the forest floor work as a huge
sponge to collect rainfall and release it slowly.
The conditions that make cloud forests so good at producing
water also make them the perfect home for a variety of unique
animals and organisms.
Cloud forests are easy to recognize by the clouds that caress
them almost all year long. At altitudes of about 1,800 meters, the
clouds deposit tiny drops of water on the forest trees and plants.
This begins a process called horizontal precipitation.
The best indicators that you're in a cloud forest are plants like
bromeliads, orchids, clusia trees and tree ferns. Cloud forests are
also home to an abundance of mosses that cover both the tree
trunks and the forest floor. Sometimes the term moss forest is
used as a synonym for cloud forest.
Some cloud forests are home to pine and fir trees, giving them the
appearance of temperate forests. Another common cloud forest
tree is the Liquidambar, or sweet gum, tree. These are also found
in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States and the
Matagalpa Province of northern Nicaragua.
The most attractive resident of the cloud forest is the quetzal.
There are large populations of this majestic bird in Cusuco
National Park, Pico Pujol, Sierra de Agalta and La Muralla
National Park. However, the bird is quite elusive and it is not
common to see them when walking along the trails. Other more
common birds include toucans, jays and woodpecker. If you hear
a beautiful bird song, it's probably coming from a solitaire.
although this small bird has drably colored feathers, it's call is
enchanting.
Cloud forests are also home to the blue morphos butterfly,
cougars, tapirs, sloths and monkeys.
The steep slopes of the cloud forests provide an almost
continuous canopy of tree cover, a site that offers a spectacular
view from the occasional open spot in the canopy. Below the tree
level flow hundreds of creeks with crystal clear waters and
refreshing waterfalls.
The only problem with the cloud forest is that visitors must climb
steep slopes to get to one. The climb up the mountainside brings
gradual changes in the vegetation, which mean that soil,
precipitation and temperature is also changing.
The climb up the mountainside brings a gradual change in
vegetation, which signifies changes in soil, precipitation levels and
temperature as well. At each altitudinal floor there are dominant
plants that indicate another ecological life zone. At one level, a
plant related to bamboo, called jimilile, grows so dense that it
becomes difficult to travel through it. At another level grows a
palm with a edible flower called pacaya. At yet another level, an
abundances of mosses and fog give visitors the feeling that they're
in a Dracula movie. It is here that most visitors forget the physical
pains of hiking and admire the master work of Mother Nature.
These fascinating ecosystems are valuable not only for scientific
purposes; they are also valuable as water producers, outdoor
classrooms for environmental education, genetic banks,
eco-tourism and opportunities to promote and practice
sustainable development.
Despite the importance of the cloud forest, however, these areas
are still threatened by forest fires, cattle ranches, deforestation
and coffee plantations. Although there is no magic formula to save
the Honduran wilderness, there are a lot of good ideas that could
be effective. If you know of such ideas, please don't just talk
about them -- implement them.
Jorge Salaverri is a forester and a guide at the La Moskitia
Ecoaventuras eco-tourism company.
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