Forest Understory-Overstory Relationships

Trees, shrubs, forbs, grasses, grass-likes (e.g. sedges), etc., require light, moisture, and nutrients. In forests, for both understory and overstory plants, often light, moisture, and nutrients become limiting at some point. We can often manipulate the understory-overstory (or overstory-understory) relationship to best meet landowner management objectives. Techniques include varying the planting density, rectangular spacings when planting, thinning, herbicide applications to manipulate the understory species composition, fertilization, prescribed burning, among others. Often some combination of these treatments will be implemented.