Tropical
montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are high on the list of the world's most threatened
ecosystems, and it is widely believed that the majority of those which remain
are small areas or remnant fragments of their original extent. The situation
is critical - James Luteyn, a botanist with the New York Botanic Garden
states that "some 90% of mountain forests have disappeared from the northern
Andes", whilst attention has been focused on the plight of tropical rain
forests of the Amazonian basin (Wuetrich, 1993). Immediate action is required
to achieve the conservation of remaining TMCFs before any more of these
rare and valuable habitats are lost for good.
Much of
their value is related to their unique characteristics of biodiversity and
endemism and the functions that they provide. In addition to having a wealth
of biological diversity which has been previously undervalued, TMCFs possess
a very high proportion of endemic species, and probably many more as yet
unknown to science. Many TMCF areas serve as refugia for endangered species
which are being marginalised by the transformation and/or destruction of
ecosystems at lower elevations. Furthermore, the hydrological role of TMCFs
through their water stripping function gives them a value in terms of water
resources that is quite distinct from other forests or types of land use
(Stadtmuller, 1987, quoted in Hamilton et al. 1993). Leaves and branches
of tree crowns intercept wind-driven cloud moisture, which drips to the
ground, resulting in the addition of water to the hydrological system. As
a result TMCFs play an important role in watershed protection by maintaining
ground cover, thus minimising soil erosion and providing a regular and controlled
supply of water to communities living downstream.
If managed
sustainably, TMCFs can provide a valuable range of other services to local
populations living in or adjacent to the forest. As well as being a source
of fuelwood and small dimension timber, they may provide a range of non-wood
forest products including honey, medicinal plants and bushmeat.
However,
despite their considerable value, these fragile habitats are under increasing
threat from a wide range of sources. In particular, human population pressures
have forced the conversion of more marginal and previously less accessible
areas for both subsistence and cash crops. Many areas are under pressure
from encroachment by live- stock or have already been cleared to provide
new grazing land. In many areas the exploitation of fuelwood and non-wood
forest products has reached unsustainable levels resulting in irreversible
damage to the forest habitat. The same is true for hunting or capture of
fauna (for sport, subsistence or commercial trade), tourism and recreation.
Plans for new road building projects threaten many remaining TMCFs along
with mining and geothermal development schemes, many of which are well established.
