Peru Experiment Simulates Cloud Rise to Gauge Tropical Forest Risk

Compiled by the editorial desk with reference to statements from Dan Metcalfe and details provided by Futurism.

In a remote corner of the Peruvian Andes, a biologist has set up an unusual experiment: a mesh curtain designed to keep mist away from a patch of cloud forest. The goal is to mimic the effect of rising clouds, a predicted consequence of climate change, and observe how the ecosystem responds.

Dan Metcalfe, a biology professor at Lund University in Sweden, conceived the project four years ago. He chose the Wayqecha Biological Station, a research center in Peru, as the site. The study area covers roughly 873 square meters, or about 9,400 square feet, within the station's grounds.

Cloud forests are a type of rainforest found on tropical mountains, typically between 2,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level. They rely on frequent mist and fog, which provide essential moisture. Climate models suggest that clouds will rise to higher altitudes as the planet warms, potentially leaving these forests drier.

Metcalfe's experiment is the first to physically remove clouds from a small area to study the consequences. “This experiment is the only one of its kind,” he told Futurism. “It will provide the best immediate window into likely future impacts of climate change on the valuable ecosystem properties and services provided by cloud forests, from biodiversity refuges to regulating freshwater supply to storing carbon.”

Construction of the mesh curtain was completed in October 2017, after years of delays that nearly forced the project to be abandoned. Now that the setup is in place, the experiment is ready to begin in earnest. Metcalfe expects to publish a preliminary synthesis and experimental description by mid-2018.

“The first data should come within a few months,” he said. “I expect that the forest might be quite slow to respond, but, of course, I don’t know for sure because this has not been done before.”

The research could offer an early warning about the fate of cloud forests under climate change. If clouds continue to rise, some plant and animal species that depend on the moist conditions may face extinction. Metcalfe's work may help scientists and policymakers plan for that scenario before it becomes a reality.