Lush Epiphytes Highlight The Trees In Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Stock Photography

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was established in 1972 and initially covered some 810 acres of forested land. Over 8 miles 13 km of trails are available for visitors to explore on their own or with a guide. Often taking the form of fog, clouds hover around the upper canopy of the forest before condensing onto the leaves of trees and dripping onto the plants below. Understandably, the sun has a hard time breaking through this thick veil of clouds. This causes a slower rate of evaporation and thus provides the plants with a bounty of life-giving moisture. This moisture helps to promote a huge amount of biodiversity, particularly within the type of plants known as epiphytes. These plants grow on other plants including trees non-parasitically, collecting their moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, and debris that surround them. Common examples include lichens, orchids and bromeliads, all of which are abundant in Monteverde. Cloud forests also tend to host a large number of endemic species, as their unique climates and specialized ecosystems create habitats that are not found anywhere else on Earth.