Understory

With undergrowth is defined as the growth of forests below the tree crowns. It consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. These can be planted, but have also evolved from root foothills, Stock rashes or seeds approach of the older trees. In some commercial forests undergrowth is undesirable as it is to the big trees in competition for food and ( thinning, harvesting and care of large trees, for example ) hinders the work on the surface.

Today, however, rejuvenation is increasingly aware planted as undergrowth, as so the shoots can grow in the protection of old trees and no clear cutting occurs when the old trees are harvested. Also, for environmental reasons, a multi-layered forest of undergrowth and top wood is often seen such.

In the wake of a near-natural silviculture a natural rejuvenation of the existing building is increasingly sought in Germany. This saves the effort of planting or seeding. To achieve this, the top timber will be thinned later than the end of the rotation period, that is a part of the old trees is harvested. To reach more light on the forest floor and the seeds of the old trees can germinate and grow into a Undergrowth.

Natural regeneration will only work if the game bite can be kept especially through increased hunting of deer is low and the old stock is cleared with continued growth of the undergrowth. Also gives a natural rejuvenation only makes sense if the old stock containing the desired trees of the future population. In contrast, if a forest stand to be converted, for example, a pure coniferous forest in a deciduous forest or mixed forest, so must the taper, so the undergrowth are artificially introduced.

Another form of the undergrowth is the " serving species ". For the main tree species in the upper level a secondary tree species will be added in the dugout for this purpose. This is not intended to be the successor of the upper class, but keep as dark as possible with their treetops the trunk space of the main tree species, prevent the formation of side branches then.

Classic cases are stocks of veneer oak.

• Silviculture
• Forest