Cloud Forest

mountains · tropical · water · ecosystems

Wrapped in clouds. Cloud forests are forests high up on mountains where clouds settle at the treetops. The clouds are so thick that it feels like the forest is inside a giant cloud, and the trees stay wet and misty most of the time.

Moss everywhere. These forests are covered in thick blankets of moss growing on trees, rocks, and the ground. The moss is so abundant that people call them mossy forests, and it gives the whole place a soft, squishy, magical feeling.

Moisture from the sky. Clouds settle and stick around the forest, dropping water constantly without rain falling the way it does elsewhere. This keeps the forest wet and healthy, and the water drips down to keep everything moist.

Mountain saddles thrive. Cloud forests usually grow best on the saddle-shaped peaks of mountains, where clouds get trapped and moisture stays longer. This makes those special mountain spots perfect homes for these unique forests.

Tropical and subtropical. Cloud forests are found in warm parts of the world, usually in the tropics or subtropics, where the weather stays warm but the elevation stays cool.