Cloud forests are evergreen forests that usually occur at altitudes of between around 3,250 feet and 8,200 feet. They are characterized by very high moisture levels (approaching 100 percent in some areas), giving them a misty, cloudy appearance. The seasonal, low-level cloud is usually formed at the canopy level. Typically, the trees in these forests are shorter, with gnarled trunks and branches, making them look even more eerie. Precipitation can reach 385 inches a year! Before today's survey, were you familiar with cloud forests?

There are examples of water forests in many parts of the world. For example, the hemlocks and Sitka spruces along Cape Lookout Point on the Oregon coast are drenched in clouds. Tropical cloud forests are only found in mountainous areas. They also only occur in the tropics, on either side of the equator. In total, 12 countries have montane cloud forest sites, but most are found in Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia. There are others in southern Brazil, Costa Rica, northern Australia, South India, Vietnam, Cambodia and across Indonesia. Have you ever been to a cloud forest?

Sadly, these special forests are under threat. In the 1970s, 11 percent of global forests were cloud forests, but now it is only one percent. Global warming is forcing the forest vegetation to grow at higher, cooler altitudes, but here, there is less moisture, and the plants and animals are struggling. Also, deforestation is clearing the lower slopes. Are you concerned about the survival of these disappearing cloud forests?

There are a few crucial factors that distinguish cloud forests from rainforests. The first is location. Cloud forests are always located in mountainous regions. Also, they are cooler, have less sunlight, and more acidic soil. The trees are shorter and denser and a labyrinthine of mass vegetation is created. Rainforests, on the other hand, have regular layered canopies with trees that can reach 200 feet. Both forests have rivers, but in rainforests, they are large and slow flowing with silt beds. Cloud forest rivers have rocky beds and are shallow and fast-flowing. The two forests also have very different wildlife. Would you be interested in visiting a cloud forest?

Many conservationists believe that cloud forests should be the world's greatest conservation priority. Part two of this survey series will explore the animals that live in cloud forests. Are you interested in learning more about cloud forests?