Understory
(Redirected from
Undergrowth
) | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
Lesser celandine
(Ficaria verna) on forest floor in springIn
dogwood
are understory specialists.
In
and plants.Understory structure
The understory is the underlying layer of vegetation in a forest or wooded area, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
dogwood and holly
, rarely grow tall and generally are understory trees.
The canopy of a
shade tolerant—they must be able to photosynthesize adequately using such light as does reach their leaves. They often are able to use wavelengths that canopy plants cannot. In temperate deciduous forests towards the end of the leafless season, understory plants take advantage of the shelter of the still leafless canopy plants to "leaf out" before the canopy trees do. This is important because it provides the understory plants with a window in which to photosynthesize without the canopy shading them. This brief period (usually 1–2 weeks) is often a crucial period in which the plant can maintain a net positive carbon balance
over the course of the year.
As a rule forest understories also experience higher
fungi and other decomposers to flourish. This drives nutrient cycling, and provides favorable microclimates for many animals and plants, such as the pygmy marmoset.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Light in the Rain Forest". garden.org. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- S2CID 15860339.
External links
Look up understory in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- https://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/C10/E5-03-01-08.pdf
Media related to underbrush at Wikimedia Commons
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