LIU Wen-jie1, ZENG Jue-min2, WANG Chang-ming2, LI Hong-mei1, DUAN Wen-ping1
(1. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS, Menglun, Yunnan 66303, China;
2. Southwest Forestry College, Kunming 650224, China)
Abstract: Researches on the relationships between forests and ″occult precipitation″(dew and fog precipitation) in foreign countries, focused on the formation mechanisms of dew and fog, forest canopy interception from dew and fog, influence of dew and fog on the distribution of species and the dynamics of vegetation, and its ecological effects were briefly introduced with the aim of promoting the studies in this field in China. According to the reports, the dew and fog water is one of the most important environmental factors determining the plants growth and distribution, and an important input for water balance and nutrients cycling of the forest in cloud or fog-dominated montane regions, and its ecological effects take on many aspects. So it is essential to make further research in this field and the future of ecological requires regarding occult precipitation should be directed towards quantifying its hydrologic as well as its chemical significance to fog and cloud dominated ecosystems. Among the study methods, the Dawson's work that applied stable tools, using hydrogen and oxygen isotopic 'signatures' and an isotopic mixing model that made it possible to distinguish the plants' proportional use of deep-ground versus above-ground ( i.e. precipitation and fog ) water, is the best way and can be used in further research.
Keywords: forests; dew and fog precipitation; ecological effects
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