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Fog interception in montane forests across the Central Cordillera of Panamá

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Jaime Cavelier ,
Daniel Solis  and
Maria A. Jaramillo
Jaime Cavelier
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, AA 4976, Bogotá, Colombia
Daniel Solis
Affiliation:
Institute de Recursos Hidráulicos y Energéticos, IRHE David, Provincia de Chiriquí, Panamá
Maria A. Jaramillo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, AA 4976, Bogotá, Colombia
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Abstract

Fog interception and rainfall were measured at 14 stations across the Central Cordillera in western Panamá. Fog interception and rainfall were measured monthly during 1988–1989 with artificial fog catchers and rain gauges, respectively. Fog interception was highest on ridges and increased with increasing altitude. Fog interception contributed between 2.4 and 60.6% of the total water input, depending on altitude and exposure to the prevailing winds. Absolute amounts of annual fog interception ranged from 142 to 2295 mm. Although low clouds were more frequent in montane forests, clouds close to the ground also occurred in the lowlands. During the study period, there was a gradient of increasing total rainfall from the Caribbean (3355 mm) to the Pacific side (5759 mm) of the Central Cordillera. Nevertheless, rainfall was more seasonal on the leeward side of the mountain range. Seasonal variation in fog intereption was different from rainfall patterns and no correlation was found between monthly (or annual) rainfall and fog interception. The results of this study showed the importance of montane forests for the preservation of water sources, particularly along ridges of the Fortuna drainage basin that provides more than 50% of the electricity of the Republic of Panamá.

Keywords

fogfog interceptionmontane forestsPanamárainfalltropical montane cloud forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , May 1996 , pp. 357 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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