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Understanding the matter and energy dynamics in environments with strong human influence is essential since it allows us to know relevant ecological drivers in urban green land areas. It has been hypothesized that biogeochemical cycles in urban forests are more open (susceptible to nutrients soil losses) with respect to rural forests near cities. However, it is not clear if this ecosystem function occurs in the same way in systems from different latitudes. Soil nutrient dynamics and microclimatic conditions of an urban and a nearby rural montane cloud forest were registered from January 2016 to July 2017. Our objective was to compare edaphic and micro-climatic factors that drive soil inorganic N dynamics in these forests. Climate was slightly cooler and drier, and soil C, N, P and organic matter were lower in the urban than the rural forest. Seasonal soil inorganic N forms were related to above ground conditions in the urban forest, but to the belowground conditions in the rural forest. Consistently low NH4:NO3 ratio indicated high susceptibility to N soil loss in the urban forest. Our results support the hypothesis that urban cloud forests are functioning as open ecosystems in contrast to the rural forests.

RESUMENCaracterísticas de la superficie como rugosidad, cobertura y capacidad térmica, condicionan el espesor de la capa límite superficial atmosférica y los procesos que ocurren en ella. Sin embargo, poco se sabe de las modificaciones en esos procesos ante cambios en la superficie de ecosistemas naturales. El objetivo de este estudio fue obtener una primera caracterización del efecto de la urbanización en el balance energético del bosque de niebla, ecosistema común en montañas tropicales. Se utilizó el método de covarianza turbulenta en dos estaciones micrometeorológicas: una en un bosque urbano (Parque Ecológico Cerro de Macuiltépetl: 19°32'51"N, 96°55'122"W, 1580 msnm), y otra en un bosque natural (El Riscal: 19°28'54 Palabras clave: flujos de energía, bosque de niebla, urbanización, covarianza turbulenta. ABSTRACTThe surface characteristics such as roughness, coverage and heat capacity determines the thickness of the atmospheric surface boundary layer and the processes occurring therein. However, the interaction of these systems in relation to changes in the surface of natural ecosystems has been little studied. In this way, the objective of this study was to conduct a first characterization of the effect of urbanization on the energy balance of cloud forest, a common ecosystem in tropical mountains. The eddy covariance method was used in two micrometeorological stations: in an urban forest (Parque Ecológico Cerro de Macuiltépetl: 19°32'51"N, 96°55'12"W, 1580 masl) and a natural forest (El Riscal: 19°28'54"N, 96°59'44"W, 1570 masl