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Growing up I always heard people refer to a tree as a canopy tree and never wanted to ask what that meant because I felt dumb to ask. When I finally figured it out, I felt dumb for not asking! Let's take a field trip for a minute and figure out what a canopy is…

Imagine we have gone to Yellowstone Park and we are being guided by a wildlife instructor. We have past Old Faithful and are headed into the forest to look for birds and interesting little things. As you enter the forest, you notice that the sun went away. All you are getting is filtered light through the leaves of the trees that are a hundred feet above you. At first you are thinking how pretty everything is in the shade. Then you notice some of the smaller trees that have not gotten over ten to fifteen feet high, and are just gorgeous. Some are blooming and the others are full of birds and squirrels. You then realize that you are a little bit cold when the breeze comes through the valley and across your face. You then say a little prayer thanking God for making such a beautiful site and follow the instructor through the rest of the forest.

What was the point of that story? It was to give you a visual of what a canopy tree and an understory tree is. A canopy tree is one that usually gets rather large, at least thirty or more feet. They usually thrive on full sun light and will compete with any other plant for the sun light and heat. Canopy trees make great shade trees around your house or yard.

An understory tree is one that usually grows less than thirty feet. An understory tree thrives on partial sun light, and loves to be nestled on the north side of a canopy tree or building. Dogwood and Redbud trees are great examples of understory trees. They will survive in the full sun, but much prefer having part shade to do what they want to do.

Now that you know the difference between a canopy and understory tree, you can go to your local nursery and sound very educated when you say "I would like to have a large canopy tree, maybe something like a Maple or Oak."

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15y ago

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Which layer of the rainforest does the lemur live?

Lemurs typically live in the understory layer of the rainforest, which is the layer beneath the canopy where there is less light and vegetation is more dense. They are known to move between the understory and the canopy to find food and shelter.


What are the 4 sections of the rainforest?

The four main sections of a rainforest are the emergent layer (top), canopy layer (middle), understory layer (intermediate), and forest floor (bottom). Each layer has its own unique ecosystem and supports different plant and animal species.


From higher to lower the two layers that plants make up in a tropical rain forest are the?

The two layers that plants make up in a tropical rainforest, from higher to lower, are the canopy layer and the understory layer. The canopy layer consists of the tops of the tallest trees that receive the most sunlight, while the understory layer consists of smaller trees, shrubs, and plants that grow beneath the canopy and receive less light.


What are the four layers of a rain forest?

The four layers of a rainforest are the emergent layer (top layer containing tallest trees), canopy layer (dense layer where majority of trees and plants are found), understory layer (smaller trees and shrubs below the canopy), and forest floor (ground layer with limited sunlight and decomposing plant material).


A layer of shorter plants that grow in the shade of a forest canopy?

The layer of shorter plants that grow beneath the forest canopy is called the understory. These plants are adapted to low light conditions and play a crucial role in the overall ecosystem by providing habitat and food for various wildlife species. The understory plants also help maintain soil health and moisture levels.