Abstract
Understory plants exist in an unproductive and stressful environment. Depending on the density of the forest canopy, they exist under moderate to deep shade conditions. Because they are small plants with relatively shallow root systems, they are subjected to water stress to a much greater degree than the more deeply rooted trees, which also have a greater drying effect on the soil through the transpiration of their larger canopies.
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Huston, M.A., Holmgren, M., Kreh, M.B. (2003). Response of Understory Tree Seedling Populations to Spatiotemporal Variation in Soil Moisture. In: Hanson, P.J., Wullschleger, S.D. (eds) North American Temperate Deciduous Forest Responses to Changing Precipitation Regimes. Ecological Studies, vol 166. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0021-2_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0021-2_14
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