Rainforests at the Margins: Regional Profiles

Colchic rainforests and wetlands, despite not fitting the global temperate rainforest model, exhibit characteristics that qualify them as 'rainforests at the margins.' These regions, including those in the Western Eurasian Caucasus, demonstrate how local climates—particularly fog—create conditions conducive to humidity-dependent vegetation, such as oceanic lichens, even in warmer temperatures typically outside the range of temperate rainforests. The study highlights these areas as outliers, where unique microclimatic factors compensate for broader climatic deviations, challenging conventional definitions and emphasizing the diversity of rainforest ecosystems.

DellaSala, D. A. (2011). Rainforests at the Margins: Regional Profiles. Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation, 213–242. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-008-8_9