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Cloud Forest MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR GRADES K-4 Subjects: Art, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies Objectives: Students will be able to: • identify the physical and biological characteristics of the tropical cloud forest; • identify the physical and biological characteristics of a natural environment near their home or school; • list things people can do to slow global climate change. Recommended Web Sites and Resources: Mercury Rising: Bearing Witness to Climate Change http://www.OneWorldJourneys.com/climate Monteverde Cloud Forest http://www.cloudforestalive.org EPA’s Global Warming Site http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids Sounds of Monteverde Cloud Forest http://www.friendscloudfrst.org/enter_forest.html EnchantedLearning.com http://www.enchantedlearning.com Enature.com http://www.enature.com © GARY BRAASCH Monteverde, Science and Scientists in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest by Collard, Sneed B. III. , Franklin Watts, 1997. The Forest In the Cloud by Collard, Sneed B. III.. Charlebridge Publishing, 2000. Exploring a Cloud Forest Teaching About Climate Change, Tim Grant and Gail Littlejohn Tropical cloud forests are a type of high altitude (eds.). New Society Publishers, 2001. The Threat of Earth’s Changing Climate, Laurence Pringle, rain forest formed when trade winds in the tropics SeaStar Books, 2001. carry warm, moist air over mountains. As it rises, the Children Save the Rain Forest, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, air cools, immersing the mountain forests in clouds. Cobblehill Books, 1996. Moisture is then squeezed out through mist and rain. Fifty Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, John Jauna, Earth Works, 1999. Cloud forests are found in tropical mountain areas around the world, but only when the conditions of trade winds, altitude, and weather patterns are just right. The temperature in a cloud forest is cooler than in a tropical rain forest. Tropical cloud forests are crowded with diverse plant and animal life. CO-SPONSORED BY © GARY BRAASCH MERCURY RISING: Bearing Witness to Climate Change Exploring a Cloud Forest The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve is a large, privately Cloud forests, like all forests of the world, provide an protected area located about 10 degrees north of the Equator, important habitat for plants and animals. The trees, epiphytes, straddling the continental divide of the Tilaran Mountains in and other plants absorb carbon dioxide, helping to slow the northwest Costa Rica. The elevation ranges from about 1350m effects of global warming. Cloud forests are also an important (4430ft) to peaks of about 1850m (6070ft). Adjacent to the source of water. There are threats from human activities to Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve is the International Children’s the survival of cloud forests and the plants and animals that Eternal Forest, rain forest land purchased with funds raised by live in them, including deforestation (clearing land for farming, school children around the world. development, or to sell the valuable trees), illegal hunting, oil One of the most striking features of the cloud forest is the exploration, and squatters (people who settle on land they don’t enormous number of epiphytes (plants that live on top of other own or rent). plants) found growing on the trunks of trees and other plants. Scientists are increasingly concerned about how changes Hundreds of species of epiphytes have been found in the in climate have affected and will affect the cloud forest and Monteverde area, including mosses, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, the world. Cutting and burning forests releases more carbon and philodendrons. Epiphytes grab nutrients from dust in the dioxide into the atmosphere at the same time as it decreases air or water droplets in the clouds and pass the nutrients and the number of trees and plants that can remove carbon dioxide. moisture on to other parts of the cloud forest. There are over Fossil fuel burning to provide electricity, heat, and transportation 700 species of trees (including the interesting Strangler Fig is another big contributor of carbon dioxide. This increase in tree), several hundred species of ferns (some large enough to carbon dioxide, one of the five gases in the earth’s atmosphere be considered trees), and many other plants. The wet that warm the planet, has raised the earth’s temperature in the environment of the cloud forest has allowed all of these plants last 100 years by .6 degrees C (about 1 degree F). Scientists to flourish. predict that the global mean temperature will rise between 1.4 The animals of the cloud forest may be hard to see. - 5.8 degrees C (2.2 - 10 degrees F) in the next 100 years. Camouflage makes it difficult to spot some of the insects, A few degrees difference in temperature doesn’t sound like amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Many animals live much. But the earth was only a few degrees warmer than it is in the canopy high above the forest floor, and many are now when the dinosaurs lived, and about 4 degrees C (7 degrees nocturnal. Hundreds of bird species live in the cloud forest. F) colder when the woolly mammoth lived. Now the earth is a Some live there full-time while others, such as hummingbirds, good temperature for people and the plants and animals that migrate seasonally from North American breeding grounds. share the earth with us. Can we keep it that way? Birds include the Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird Follow One World Journeys’ online photo documentary (which announces its presence with a loud “Bonk!”), Macaw, expedition, “Mercury Rising,: Bearing Witness to Climate and Emerald Toucanet. Mammals in the cloud forest include Change” at: http://www.OneWorldJourneys.com/climate 68 species of bats, Howler Monkeys, White-faced Capuchin and learn about the cloud forest and what scientists are doing Monkeys, Pacas (a pig-like animal), Jaguars, and many others. to study the effects of climate change on its plants and animals. Thousands of species of insects and arthropods live in the Use this site and the suggested activities below to introduce cloud forest, including Katydids, Walkingsticks, Leaf-cutter students to facts about the tropical cloud forest and the plants Ants, and Army Ants. A large number of amphibian species and animals that inhabit it. have disappeared from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in the last decade including the Golden Toad. Other species of amphibians are still found, such as the Red Eyed Tree Frog. A variety of snakes and lizards live in the cloud forest. CO-SPONSORED BY MERCURY RISING: Bearing Witness to Climate Change Exploring a Cloud Forest Activity 1 – What Is A Cloud Forest? Activity 2 – One World Journeys’ Expedition Materials: globe and/or world map, computer with internet to the Cloud Forest access, paper (unlined, or half of the page lined), crayons, Materials: computer with internet access, observation worksheet, markers, or colored pencils plain paper, pencils, and crayons, markers, or colored pencils 1. Ask students to find Costa Rica on a globe or map. Invite 1. Follow the expedition team as they explore the Monteverde discussion of what they know about Central America and Cloud Forest of Costa Rica and to learn about scientists who Costa Rica. are studying the plants and animals that live there, and how 2. Use the introductory information in this lesson plan, climate change is affecting the cloud forest habitat. This can information gathered on the following sites (and your own be done during the live expedition or afterward. If during web search), and the following books to introduce students the live expedition, students can email questions to the One to cloud forests and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. World Journeys team in the field at: Mercury Rising: Bearing 3. Discuss the climate and environment that make the cloud Witness to Climate Change forest special. Then discuss the climate and environment http://www.OneWorldJourneys.com/climate where you live and go to school. How are they the same? 2. Read each day’s dispatch and have students record their How are they different? observations using the observation worksheet. They should 4. Divide a piece of paper in half vertically (by folding or a write in the “My Observations” section and draw a picture line). Have students label one side with the name of where to illustrate what they learned. Save each day’s observations. you live and the other “Cloud Forest.” Draw pictures on both 3. Create a cover page. Students should include a title for their sides that show the appropriate natural environment with observation book, their own name as “author” and an typical weather (or the current weather where you live). illustration. At the end of the expedition, staple the Have students write one or more sentences to describe each observation worksheets and cover together in order. climate and environment. CO-SPONSORED BY MERCURY RISING: Bearing Witness to Climate Change Exploring a Cloud Forest Activity 3 – Plants and Animals in the Monteverde Cloud Activity 4 – Backyard Expeditions Forest Materials: paper, pencils, crayons, markers, or colored pencils, Materials: computer with internet access, plain paper, crayons, clipboards (not essential, but helpful for writing outside) markers, or colored pencils, pencils (also helpful: reference books about animals and plants) In the previous activities, students have learned about the tropical cloud forest environment in Costa Rica. This activity 1. Begin two class charts: one to list animals that live in the encourages students to plan their own “expedition” to observe tropical cloud forest, and one to list plants that grow in the the environment closest to their home or school, and then to tropical cloud forest. Ask students to name animals and make comparisons with the unique cloud forest habitat. Choose plants that they know live in the cloud forest, and record a location near you where you’ll find plants and animals them on the charts.
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