Environmental Description:  Forests within this group occur over 800 m and up to about 2000 m elevation on yellowish or red ferrallitic soils or clay-loam derived from limestones. In mountains exposed to higher precipitation, it is found as low as 450 m.

Climate: Due to elevational gradients and geographic position, the climate of the Caribbean wet montane forest is cooler and wetter than in the lowlands, with temperatures at high-elevation sites averaging 18.5°C or less and precipitation averaging greater than 3000 mm annually. These areas above 800 m experience frequent cloud cover and relative humidity near 100% due to passing low clouds and the upward transport of moisture from warm Caribbean waters.

Soil/substrate/hydrology: Forests growing on exposed areas are of smaller stature and very dense. Taller forests grow on protected areas on lower slopes to the leeward of ridges or spurs. With montane forests, one of the most critical climatic factors is the frequency and duration of the cloud cover; condensation can contribute 10% or more of the precipitation amount that these forests receive. In the Caribbean, the trade winds forming clouds have saline components which have an effect on the chemistry of the ecophysiology of these forests. Cloud cover causes less solar radiation, lower temperatures, decreased transpiration and lower photosynthetic rates, resulting in lower growth rates and lower nutrient-cycling rates. The efficiency shown by these forests in the use of nutrients is high though, which is important to avoid nutrient loss due to leaching.