A layer by layer guide to the conifer forests of coastal British Columbia. A Guide to Reading the Forest Table of Contents Forest Layers Conifer Giants Shrub Layer Herb Layer Back to The Magazine A Layer by Layer Guide to the Conifer Forest Step into the forest and look up.
High overhead is the inaccessible and largely unexplored world of the forest canopy.
Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock rise in straight unbroken columns before sending out branches in spreading crowns. Their branches form the forest's roof and attic. We'll use these dominant trees as signposts to help guide us through the forest. Rising toward the canopy is an understory layer filled by smaller, shade-tolerant trees and shrubs. Beneath the understory, wherever sufficient light remains, is a low herb layer of mosses, ferns and delicate wildflowers.