Climatic Impact of Tropical Lowland Deforestation on Nearby Montane Cloud Forests
Abstract
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) depend on predictable, frequent, and prolonged immersion in cloud. Clearing upwind lowland forest alters surface energy budgets in ways that influence dry season cloud fields and thus the TMCF environment. Landsat and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite imagery show that deforested areas of Costa Rica's Caribbean lowlands remain relatively cloud-free when forested regions have well-developed dry season cumulus cloud fields. Further, regional atmospheric simulations show that cloud base heights are higher over pasture than over tropical forest areas under reasonable dry season conditions. These results suggest that land use in tropical lowlands has serious impacts on ecosystems in adjacent mountains.
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An alternative to the climate-warming hypothesis for population declines in Luquillo and other tropical montane habitats is a mechanism proposed by Lawton et al.
“An alternative to the climate-warming hypothesis for population declines in Luquillo and other tropical montane habitats is a mechanism proposed by Lawton et al. (126).”
From Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web (2018) · cites this paper as [126]
In theory, clear cutting of lowland forests raises surface temperature, which in turn increases conductive heat flux from exposed ground to the atmosphere, reducing both evapotranspiration and evaporative cooling and lowering humidity.
“In theory, clear cutting of lowland forests raises surface temperature, which in turn increases conductive heat flux from exposed ground to the atmosphere. This reduces both evapotranspiration and evaporative cooling (126) and lowers humidity.”
From Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web (2018) · cites this paper as [126]
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- Authors
- Lawton, R. O., Nair, U. S., Pielke, R. A., & Welch, R. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Alabama in Huntsville (US)
- National Space Science and Technology Center (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lawton, R. O.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2001-10-19
- Volume
- 294
- Issue
- 5542
- Pages
- 584-587
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W3206572385
- Cited by
- 1,169
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 47 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 74
- FWCI
- 39.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate variability and models
- Keywords
- tropical montane cloud forest, cloud base height, surface energy balance, pasture, Caribbean lowlands, Costa Rica
- MeSH terms
- Altitude, Animals, Atmosphere, Conservation of Natural Resources, Costa Rica, Humidity, Seasons, Trees, Tropical Climate, Ecosystem
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