Tales from the UNDERSTORY

The dense forest floor is the perfect setting to nest and forage

- BY MONICA CARDOZA

Beneath the highest tree canopy lies the forest understory—a woodland habitat of ground cover plants, vines, shrubs and small trees. With limited sunlight and plenty of predators, you might think birds would avoid it. On the contrary, many birds wouldn't call any other place home.

"It's a misconception that all these forest birds nest at the tops of the trees," says Sarah Sargent, an avian ecologist and director of conservation at the Erie Bird Observatory in northwestern Pennsylvania. "That's really the exception because conditions—wind, rain and temperature—there are more extreme. Things are a little more sheltered and protected lower down."

THE STORIES OF THE FOREST

Forests are often described in terms of layers. The top layer is the highest canopy called the overstory. Below that is the midstory of smaller trees with low-light requirements or saplings of the overstory trees. Beneath that is the understory.

"The midstory is that layer from about 6 to 30 feet," Sarah says. "The understory is up to maybe 6 feet."

Understory of ferns in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California