The Forest Floor Layer

1 mainly contains decomposing plant material such as leaves bark branches and stems.

The forest floor layer.

It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts such as leaves branches bark and stems existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface. The forest floor is where recycling occurs fungi insects bacteria and earthworms are among the many organisms that break down waste materials and ready them for reuse and recycling throughout the forest system. The forest floor is also where decomposition takes place. Only two percent of sunlight gets through the thick canopy trees and understory plants to reach the forest floor.

The herb layer of the forest is dominated by herbaceous or soft stemmed plants such as grasses ferns wildflowers and other ground covers. Although principally composed of non living organic material the forest floor also teems with a wide variety of fauna and flora. Dead leaves fallen from the plants in the layers above cover the ground. The forest floor is the lowest layer where it is dark hot and damp.

Incorporation of specific types of materials from the forest floor into lower soil horizons is related to stand age and the community composition of earthworms. Vegetation in the herb layer often gets little light and in forests with thick canopies shade tolerant species are. The forest floor is the bottom layer of the rainforest and its also the darkest layer of the rainforest. Also many of the largest rainforest animals are found on the forest floor.

Large leafed shrubs and saplings new trees grow in the patches of sunlight.