UNDERSTORY
Several meters below the bottom of the canopy is the understory, a layer made up of young trees, short species of trees, shrubs, and soft-stemmed plants. The understory varies a lot from rainforest to rainforest. But everywhere it is darker, there is less wind, and it is more humid than the canopy above it. This Understory Layer is dark. Plants here see very little sunlight compared to those up in the canopy. Lack of light limits plant growth and those successful at surviving here withhold special adaptations to deal with the gloom.The leaves are much broader here to give them a larger surface area to soak up any precious sunlight and you will find more shrubs and small trees in clearings where a larger tree has fallen.
Understory plants have to find ways to advertise their flowers, so that the animals and insects that carry their pollen, can find them in the dim light. Often these flowers are large and pale so they can be easily seen. Frequently, flowers grow directly on the trunks of trees (which is never seen in temperate trees), making them easier to find than if they were tucked away among the leaves. Understory blossoms also often advertise themselves by producing a strong smell suited to the particular tastes of the pollinator the plants depend on.
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