MÉXICO’S MOUNTAIN MESOPHYLL FORESTS

Abstract

The intertropical zone of the planet contains the highest diversity of marine and land ecosystems, and consequently, the highest number of species. A very important land ecosystem is located in cloud forests, or mountain mesophyll forests; these tend to develop in the zones of condensation of humid air originating primarily from the sea, where dense cloud masses are formed with a resulting high humidity and high rain precipitation. The typical altitudes can range from 500 to more than two or three thousand meters, depending on the latitude and exposure to the dominating winds that carry marine humidity, among other main ones. Depending on the region, they can have names different than those mentioned
and, in some cases, at elevations close to 4000 m, or dry regions, they can adopt different forms and structures than those of a typical forest. A description of the mountain mesophyll forest in México is presented in this study.