Spatial Hierarchy of Forests and Water

Tiny hiding spots and homes for small creatures like insects and little animals.

• Forest Ecosystem

• Microhabitats

• Understory Layer

• Biogeographic Realm

Small plants and baby trees growing beneath the big ones.

• Understory Layer

• Emergent Layer

• Forest Stand

• Forest Ecosystem

Looking at all the forests in the world and how they're different depending on where they are.

• Landscape Scale

• Forest Ecosystem

• Emergent Layer

• Biogeographic Realm

Zooming out to see the forest as part of a bigger neighborhood with fields and rivers.

• Microhabitats

• Understory Layer

• Emergent Layer

• Landscape Scale

Big trees create a shady roof where birds, squirrels, and plants live.

• Forest Stand

• Canopy Layer

• Understory Layer

• Forest Ecosystem

Extra tall trees that stick out above the canopy, home to special animals.

• Emergent Layer

• Canopy Layer

• Understory Layer

• Microhabitats

The whole forest area with all its plants, animals, and nature working together.

• Landscape Scale

• Microhabitats

• Canopy Layer

• Forest Ecosystem

The smallest water feature, often not considered part of the hierarchical system. Examples include springs and small seeps where water emerges from the ground.

• Lakes and Ponds

• Linear Features

• Point Source

• Oceans

The largest of the water features. These are the deepest parts of the oceans, often characterized by the presence of underwater features like ridges, trenches, and seamounts.

• Open Ocean

• Seas and Gulfs

• Estuaries

• Point Source