▁▁ ▁The ▁under story ▁can ▁refer ▁to ▁those ▁trees ▁above ▁the ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁and ▁below ▁the ▁can opy , ▁but ▁is ▁often ▁defined ▁more ▁broad ly , ▁including ▁the ▁shr ub ▁layer . ▁ ▁S hr ub ▁layer ▁The ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁is ▁the ▁str atum ▁of ▁veget ation ▁within ▁a ▁habitat ▁with ▁height s ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 . 5 ▁to ▁ 5   met res . ▁This ▁layer ▁consists ▁mostly ▁of ▁young ▁trees ▁and ▁bush es , ▁and ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁shr ub ▁layers ▁( low ▁and ▁high ▁bush es ). ▁The ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁needs ▁sun ▁and ▁little ▁mo ist ure , ▁unlike ▁the ▁m oss ▁layer ▁which ▁requires ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁water . ▁The ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁only ▁receives ▁light ▁filtered ▁by ▁the ▁can opy , ▁i . e . ▁it ▁is ▁preferred ▁by ▁semi - sh ade ▁or ▁sh ade - lo ving ▁plants ▁that ▁would ▁not ▁toler ate ▁bright ▁sun light . ▁Small ▁to ▁medium ▁s ized ▁birds ▁sometimes ▁known ▁as ▁bush ▁nest ers ▁are ▁often ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁where ▁their ▁n ests ▁are ▁protected ▁by ▁fol i age . ▁European ▁examples ▁include ▁black bird , ▁song ▁thr ush , ▁ro bin ▁or ▁black cap . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁shr ubs , ▁such ▁as ▁elder , ▁ha zel , ▁ha w th orn , ▁r asp berry ▁and ▁black berry , ▁c lem atis ▁may ▁also ▁occur ▁while , ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁v