A
cloud forest, also called a
fog forest, is a generally
tropical or
subtropical, evergreen,
montane,
moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level
cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of
mosses covering the ground and vegetation, in which case they are also referred to as
mossy forests. Mossy forests usually develop on the saddles of mountains, where moisture introduced by settling clouds is more effectively retained.