The cloud forest in the Monteverde Biological Reserve in the mountains of Costa Rica is a unique ecosystem. But due to climate change, the fog is increasingly absent and the sun dries out plants and streams. Researchers therefore fear a major extinction of species.
In the cloud forest popular with tourists in the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, located in the mountainous northwest of the Central American country, just under two and a half hours drive from the capital San José, what the unique ecosystem – the fog – lingers more and more.
“A cloud forest is characterized – as the name suggests – by the fact that there is always or almost always fog close to the ground. Walking through such a forest is like walking through clouds because the humidity is very high everywhere.” says researcher Ana Maria Duran of the Investigation Center of Environmental Pollution at the Universidad de Costa Rica.
The number of sunny days has multiplied
But climate change is leading to higher temperatures, causing clouds to rise on the mountain slopes of the nature reserve, known worldwide for its species-rich cloud forests. “There are not so many clouds anymore and a lot more sun. We didn’t know the sun here yet. There were 30 sunny days a year. Now there are 130,” says Andrey Castrillo, who works as a forest guide, about the drastic changes.
The sun causes higher temperatures, so that the streams slowly dry out and many plants die. “There used to be dry leaves like on this trail,” says Castrillo, who regularly treks through the 10,500-acre nature reserve.
The changes are also a disaster for the animal world. “Many animals and plants will become extinct. We already see this in different species of amphibians. All this has to do with climate change, which will greatly alter this ecosystem. It is also possible that the cloud forest will disappear completely and be replaced by a drier forest,” fears biologist Andrea Vincent of the Universidad de Costa Rica.
Extinct species of toads found only here
A frog species found only here, the golden toad, was last observed in 2019. It has since been considered extinct. It was only discovered in 1964 in the cloud forests of Monteverde. According to the British science magazine “Nature”, the colorful toad fell victim to the moisture loss in the cloud forests – not even its status as a nature reserve could change that. Researchers fear that other animal species may follow suit.
Source: Krone
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