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A Dying forest

Rainforests provide much of the world’s oxygen supply. But the forest’s exotic trees and animals are being destroyed to make room for farms and roads.

People have been trying to conserve rainforests for years. But another type of forest, the cloud forest, is just as important and beneficial to humans. Cloud forests are also in danger of disappearing, but little is being done to save them.

These forests are located at the tops of mountains, generally near the equator. These humid, wooded mountaintops are mainly in African and Central and South American countries.

They are called “cloud forests” because their height allows for the formation of clouds among the trees. Rainforests produce large amounts of oxygen. Cloud forests produce comparative amounts of water.

The trees in these forests pull water out of the clouds. The moisture gathers on the leaves. When it drips, it is deposited into streams.. The streams flow into towns at the bottom of the mountain. Then, the water is distributed to people.

The yearly cumulative of rainfall in these areas is 173 to 198 centimeters. Cloud forests can pull in up to 60 percent of that. This water is crucial to the plants and the people in the area. It helps them survive.

Cloud forests are also the birthplace of countless species of plants that can’t be found anywhere else. One small cloud forest has the capacity for as many types of plants as there are in all of Europe. There are so many, in fact, that scientists haven’t made a comprehensive list of them yet.

These forests are being destroyed with increasing frequency. Trees are being cut down, and roads are being built in their place. Some people have an objective to get federal money to protect the forests. But they have had little success.

Another strategy is to replace the destroyed plants. That, too, has been difficult, because the plants are so unique. There’s plenty of work to be done, but saving the cloud forests is still a possibility.