Cloud forest

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cloud-forest

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Tropical montane cloud forest (Silvagenitus)
2. What is the geographic distribution?High-altitude tropical and subtropical mountain ranges worldwide
3. Why do cloud forests have so many mosses?The constant clouds give the forest lots of moisture, and mosses can soak up and hold water. They help keep the forest damp and create a special mossy look.
4. How do cloud forests help people with water?Cloud forests act like water towers. They catch moisture from clouds and slowly release it into rivers and underground, giving clean water to people below.

Silvagenitus: A term formally describing forests whose formation is directly influenced by cloud cover.
Endemism: The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island or mountain range.
Orographic Lift: The upward movement of air when it is forced to rise over a mountain barrier, leading to cooling and condensation.
Bryophytes: A group of non-vascular plants, including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, which thrive in moist cloud forest environments.