Shrub Layer Definition

Overview

The shrub layer, which is also commonly referred to as the understory layer, is a layer of the rain forest. The shrub layer consists primarily of perennial and woody shrubs that are no more than 10 feet tall, as well as young trees that are waiting for space in the canopy to achieve their mature stature. The high humidity shrub layer is on the forest floor's top, just under the canopy layer.

Habitat

The shrub layer of the rain forest is characterized by growth that is extremely dense. The deep and dark shrub layer is full of broadleaf trees, vines and shrubs, and has an almost impenetrable atmosphere, which is beneficial for camouflaging purposes.

Animals

The rain forest's shrub layer is full of different animal species. The vast majority of the species that reside in the shrub layer are nocturnal. Some common species in the shrub layer include owls, bats and red-eyed tree frogs, as well as many insects such as leaf cutter ants. Many different animal species also travel in and out of the forest layers, including leopards, jaguars, boa constrictors, sloths and monkeys.

Foliage

Very little sunlight reaches the dark shrub layer. As a result, it is necessary for the shrub layer plants to produce bigger leaves in order to get to the sunlight. One single leaf, in fact, is large enough that it could be used as an umbrella.

Lower Light

The small shrubs and trees that live in the shrub layer of the rain forest are adapted to growing under conditions of low light. The trees of the shrub layer often have a sideways, sprawling growth form, which allows them to raise the surface area that can trap light that seeps through the upper canopy.

Size

The size of a rain forest's shrub layer is often dependent on the size of its canopy layer. Rain forests that have thick and dense canopy layers often have particularly tiny shrub layers, while rain forests with open canopies tend to have bigger shrub layers.