Our mature forests contain the oldest trees in Port Blakely's forest. Some of these older trees have been here for over 100 years. They aren't like the young trees in the plantation that were planted by humans. Nature planted their seeds.
There are four main layers that make up a mature forest: the canopy, the understory, the floor, and the subfloor. Each forest layer is home to many different types of animals and insects.
Canopy - The canopy is the top layer of the forest. Hawks, eagles, owls, and many other birds make their nests high up in the tops of the trees to keep away from land predators.
Understory - The understory contains smaller trees, snags, and brush. The understory provides habitat for both birds and mammals. Raccoons and squirrels would find homes in this layer of the forest.
Floor - The forest floor includes leaf litter, rocks, fallen logs, stumps, small plants, moss, mushrooms, and seedlings. You can find many different types of insects crawling around on the forest floor. Ant colonies especially help aerate (to let air in) and water the soil with the tunnels they build.
Subfloor - The subfloor includes everything underground, like roots. Earthworms live in the subfloor ensuring rich and fertile soil for healthy trees.
Did You Know?
Many trees have a long, straight root, called a taproot. It can reach down as deep as 15 feet under the ground.
Page
12 of 20