Monteverde : Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest

Table 3.6. Summary data for tree species in permanent forest plots at Monteverde (see Haber,
"Descriptions," p. 90).

Site

a. Estacion Biologica

b. Elfin Forest

c. Nadkarni plots
Plot 1

Plot 3

All plots

d. Penas Blancas

e. San Gerardo

g. Stellar

h. Los Llanos

Area

(ha)

0.1

2 1 1 4 1 1 1 1

Families

27

NA

39

NA

47

39

36

NA

27

Species

41

NA

76

41

114

104

115

NA

62

Individuals

62

NA

585

531

1429

406

489

NA

644

Basal

Area

(mVha)

66

NA

66.3

NA

62

37.6

55.2

NA

34.6

Elevation

(m)

1600

1550

1450

1450

1450

750

1150

650

1200

Life Zone

Lower montane

wet/rain

Lower montane

rain

Lower montane

wet

Lower montane

wet

Lower montane

wet

Tropical wet

(transition)

Premontane

rain

Premontane

wet

Premontane

moist

Principal

Investigator

N. Nadkarni

R. Lawton

N. Nadkarni

N. Nadkarni

N. Nadkarni

W. Haber

M. Kerry and

W. Haber

E. Arevalo

E. Arevalo

NA = information not currently available.

habitat destruction. The dominance of montane spe-

cies in the region's flora results in large part from the

great diversity of orchids and ferns (both epiphytic

and terrestrial) in the cloud forest. Epiphytes comprise

29% of the flora and are most conspicuous and abun-

dant in the cloud forest (Table 3.7). The lower spe-

cies richness of the Atlantic slope may also reflect less

intensive collecting there.

Herbs. Herbs are defined here as erect, nonwoody

plants to distinguish them from vines (nonerect) and

2000

Figure 3.5. Number of species of ferns, monocots, and

dicots in the three general vegetation types (Pacific,

montane, and Atlantic) of the Monteverde area.

shrubs (woody). Some plants are intermediate among

these three categories; many pasture weeds (e.g., Agera-

tina and Sida.) develop woody stem bases, and some

ferns may grow either as epiphytes or terrestrial herbs.

These species were tabulated as their most common

growth form. A total of 616 species of terrestrial herbs

(including 144 ferns) (21% of the total flora) have been

identified in Monteverde (Table 3.7). This includes 245

species of dicotyledons in 44 families (13% of all dicot

species) and 227 monocotyledons in 21 families (28%

of all monocot species; Appendix 2). Herbaceous

species of dicots are most abundant in the families

Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, Gesneriaceae, Lamiaceae,

and Rubiaceae. The most diverse monocot families are

Araceae, Commelinaceae, Cyperaceae, Marantaceae,

Orchidaceae, and Poaceae (Fig. 3.6).

Many of the herb species, especially weedy mem-

bers of the Asteraceae and Poaceae, are more typical

of disturbed areas such as roadsides and pastures than

natural habitats. Some typical herbs of forest habitats

include species of Araceae (Dieffenbachia, Spathi-

phyllum), Cyclanthaceae (Carludovica, Cyclanthus),

Commelinaceae (Dichorisandra hexandra, Trades-

cantia zanonia), Costaceae (Costus), Gesneriaceae

(Alloplectus, Besleriaprinceps), Orchidaceae (Crani-

chis, Corymborkis), and Zingiberaceae (Renealmia).

Compared with wet forests at lower elevations, terres-

trial herbs form a smaller percentage of the biomass

in undisturbed montane habitats, occurring primarily

51 Plants and Vegetation