The Monteverde Cloud Forest

When we think of Costa Rica we often imagine its rain forests and volcanoes; however, Costa Rica is also home to Cloud Forests.

Cloud forests make up only one percent of the total combined woodland areas of the entire world. Costa Rica is home to the Monteverde Cloud Forest which is home to two reserves made to educate tourists and preserve the forest.
Image taken by Jonathon Edwards (contributor) in the Monteverde Forest Reserve

 The Monteverde Cloud Forest (named after the local town) has consistent cloud coverage which allows for constant precipitation (from the clouds) thus giving the forest the water necessary to maintain life. However, surprising as it is, life in the cloud forest would not be where it is now if it were not for the soil properties of the area.Source

There is constant humidity in the forest due to the low hanging clouds and the seasons. Constant moisture gives these plants a perpetual water source and the dark soil provides the plants with the minerals & nutrients it needs to grow.
Image taken by Jonathon Edwards (contributor) in the Monteverde Forest Preserve

Soil can be classified according to its order. There are generally ten to twelve orders of soil, commonly referred to as "sols". In the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the soil here is what most would classify as ultisol soil. This soil may have a slight reddish tint as the concentration of iron and aluminum is higher in ultisol soil than in most other soils. Soils that are red in color often fall under the category of oxisol soil because the amount of iron and aluminum are exceptionally high and because it lacks organic minerals. Due to this, plant life has a difficult time growing in oxisol soil because plants need a varied amount of minerals in order to sustain life.Unlike oxisol soil, ultisol soils do not lack organic minerals and that is because of humus, which is decomposing organic matter.

In this image you can see different types of soil horizons. The horizon with the yellow grass (the top layer) is known as the "O" horizon where organic matter is visible. The dark red soil is called the "B" horizon and this is where minerals removed from above have collected. This is a typical sight for oxisol soil and as you can see from the yellow grass, it is difficult to sustain life in this type of soil without some sort of help.
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The soil in the Mondeverde Cloud Forest has enough nutrients (or humus) in it to sustain growth. In this image the soil that Charles Schembre found has an "O" horizon, or organic matter (plant life). Underneath this horizon is the "A" horizon which is made up of humus or decayed organic matter. This horizon provides the necessary minerals and nutrients that plants need in order to grow. The "B" horizon is located just beneath the "A" horizon and it is composed of minerals that have fallen from above and collected in this layer. Roots of plants are noticeable in this layer until it reaches the "C" horizon (not seen in this photo).
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Humus, mixed with the precipitation gathered from the overhanging clouds, and the forest's mild temperatures, makes soil here in the Monteverde Cloud Forest extremely valuable for growing vegetation and even sustaining wild life. Deforestation, however, is  dangerous because it threatens the biodiversity of the area and destroys the habitats of all the animals that call this forest home. It also depletes nutrients in the soil for the area and in doing so, destroys the plant life that thrives in this region. Source

"The condition of soil is one of the most important factors in the productivity of forest ecosystems ..Agricultural practices and operations in the tropics are notoriously correlated with the rapid destruction of forest ecosystems and rapid biodiversity declination of flora and fauna. Tropical Montane Cloud forests are among one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to land clearing for grazing and other agricultural operations. When forests are cleared, and replaced by grazing, considerable changes occur to the natural physical and chemical properties of the soil. If attentive soil management is lacking, the land becomes exhausted and infertile". (Charles Schembre)
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Image provided by Jonathon Edwards (contributor) in Costa Rica outside the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

The Monteverde Cloud Reserve is home to 2,500 plant species, 100 species of mammals, 500 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects. The highly diverse ecology of The Monteverde Cloud Forest contributes to its soil properties. However, all of this is in danger if humans continue practicing deforestation in the area. If the trees are destroyed here, the humus decreases and becomes unable to replenish the nutrients in the soil that are required for continual growth and life sustainability.
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