Microclimate in the tropics

Abstract

Microclimatic differences between site conditions of forest ecosystems and farmlands are accented to clarify the significant importance of tree canopies for ecosystem services and agroforestry. An analyis of the climate within a tropical rainforest and its impact on epiphytic structure is given by Fig. 2. After forest conversion into farmland, radiation turnovers and energy flows as well as precipitation rates change dramatically (Figs. 3 and 4). Furthermore, clear-cuts of tropical forests enhance in destructive erosion processes during tropical downpours (Figs. 5, 6, and 8), which can reach impressive amounts during hurricane events (Fig. 7).