Vegetation Ecology Lab / 植群生態研究室

Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University

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 ~~Title: Cloud forest projects ~~ ~~Title: Cloud forest projects ~~
-====== Current research project ======+====== Current research project related to cloud forest vegetation ======
 ===== Taxonomic and functional diversity and geographical distribution of the Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest in Taiwan: A multiscale approach ===== ===== Taxonomic and functional diversity and geographical distribution of the Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest in Taiwan: A multiscale approach =====
-[{{ :figures:fishey_cloud_yy_lake.jpg?direct&400|Fisheye photograph of cloud forest in Yuan Yang Lake (鴛鴦湖). Photo: D. Zelený, 2014.}}]+//Ministry of Science and Technology, 109-2621-B-002-002-MY3; duration: 2020/08/01-2023/07/31// 
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 +{{ ::woody_chamaecyparis.jpg?direct&400|}}
 Mountain cloud forests worldwide belong to one of the most peculiar and at the same time one of the most endangered forest ecosystems. Frequent fog causes high air humidity and horizontal precipitations, which in turn also decrease air temperature, solar radiation and decomposition rate, resulting in a combination of the humid, dark and nutrient-limited environmental conditions. In Taiwan, around 48,000 ha of Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest (SMCF) still occurs in elevations between 1500–2500 m a.s.l. The main threat to cloud forests worldwide and also in Taiwan are land-use changes, mainly converting the forest into agricultural land or into forestry plantations, and anthropogenic climate change, which is likely to result in vertical uplift of the cloud base, directly affecting the habitats of cloud forests in lower elevations by drought. Since cloud forests provide important ecosystem services (e.g. availability of drinkable water for downstream regions), detailed understanding of the relationship between vegetation and environment is necessary for designing effective conservation and management strategies to protect their habitats. Mountain cloud forests worldwide belong to one of the most peculiar and at the same time one of the most endangered forest ecosystems. Frequent fog causes high air humidity and horizontal precipitations, which in turn also decrease air temperature, solar radiation and decomposition rate, resulting in a combination of the humid, dark and nutrient-limited environmental conditions. In Taiwan, around 48,000 ha of Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest (SMCF) still occurs in elevations between 1500–2500 m a.s.l. The main threat to cloud forests worldwide and also in Taiwan are land-use changes, mainly converting the forest into agricultural land or into forestry plantations, and anthropogenic climate change, which is likely to result in vertical uplift of the cloud base, directly affecting the habitats of cloud forests in lower elevations by drought. Since cloud forests provide important ecosystem services (e.g. availability of drinkable water for downstream regions), detailed understanding of the relationship between vegetation and environment is necessary for designing effective conservation and management strategies to protect their habitats.
  
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 ====== Past research projects ====== ====== Past research projects ======
 ===== Changes in species- and community-level properties of forest vegetation along cloud and chronic-wind gradients in Taiwan ===== ===== Changes in species- and community-level properties of forest vegetation along cloud and chronic-wind gradients in Taiwan =====
-<fs small>Ministry of Science and Technology, 106-2621-B-002-003-MY3; duration: 2017/08/01-2020/07/31</fs> +//Ministry of Science and Technology, 106-2621-B-002-003-MY3; duration: 2017/08/01-2020/07/31//
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-[ [[cloud_wind:start|link to the project website]] ]+
  
 Taiwan as a subtropical island exposed to East-Asian monsoon system offers a unique opportunity to study vegetation along two peculiar stress gradients, cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity. Frequent cloud or persistent strong winds have remarkable ecological effects on vegetation and require specific species adaptations. Cloud and monsoon forests thus represent unique vegetation types, hosting a number of endemic and relict species. In the near future, ongoing climate change is expected to modify both cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity. To understand the impact of these changes on future diversity and species composition of cloud and monsoon forests and the ecological mechanisms behind has therefore not only high theoretical values, but also practical importance in conservation. Taiwan as a subtropical island exposed to East-Asian monsoon system offers a unique opportunity to study vegetation along two peculiar stress gradients, cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity. Frequent cloud or persistent strong winds have remarkable ecological effects on vegetation and require specific species adaptations. Cloud and monsoon forests thus represent unique vegetation types, hosting a number of endemic and relict species. In the near future, ongoing climate change is expected to modify both cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity. To understand the impact of these changes on future diversity and species composition of cloud and monsoon forests and the ecological mechanisms behind has therefore not only high theoretical values, but also practical importance in conservation.
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 ===== Community assembly along stress gradients: effect of cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity on forest vegetation in Taiwan ===== ===== Community assembly along stress gradients: effect of cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity on forest vegetation in Taiwan =====
-<fs small>Ministry of Science and Technology, 105-2621-B-002-004; duration: 2016/09/01-2017/07/31</fs>+//Ministry of Science and Technology, 105-2621-B-002-004; duration: 2016/09/01-2017/07/31//
  
 This project focuses on changes in species and functional composition of forest vegetation along two strong environmental stress gradients, namely gradient of cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity, to better understand underlying processes of community assembly. Peculiar stress effects of elevated cloud and chronic-wind intensity on vegetation are far less studied and understood compared to other factors like productivity, temperature, precipitation or soil properties, offering potential for new and interesting findings. Taiwan, as a subtropical island exposed to frequent cloud formations from the sea and nearly constant winds related to East-Asian monsoon system, offers a unique opportunity to study forest vegetation along both stress gradients. This project focuses on changes in species and functional composition of forest vegetation along two strong environmental stress gradients, namely gradient of cloud frequency and chronic-wind intensity, to better understand underlying processes of community assembly. Peculiar stress effects of elevated cloud and chronic-wind intensity on vegetation are far less studied and understood compared to other factors like productivity, temperature, precipitation or soil properties, offering potential for new and interesting findings. Taiwan, as a subtropical island exposed to frequent cloud formations from the sea and nearly constant winds related to East-Asian monsoon system, offers a unique opportunity to study forest vegetation along both stress gradients.

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