ines ▁and ▁li anas ▁may ▁form ▁part ▁of ▁this ▁str atum . ▁At ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁a ▁wood land ▁the ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁wind break ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁trees ▁and ▁protect s ▁the ▁soil ▁from ▁dry ing ▁out . ▁ ▁Her b ▁layer ▁ ▁This ▁layer ▁contains ▁mostly ▁non - wo ody ▁veget ation , ▁or ▁ground ▁cover , ▁growing ▁in ▁the ▁forest ▁with ▁height s ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁about ▁one ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁metres . ▁The ▁her b ▁layer ▁consists ▁of ▁various ▁her b ace ous ▁plants ▁( ther oph y tes , ▁ge oph y tes , ▁crypt oph y tes , ▁hem ic rypt oph y tes ), ▁d war f ▁shr ubs ▁ch ama e phy tes ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁young ▁shr ubs ▁or ▁tree ▁seed lings . ▁In ▁for ests , ▁early ▁flow ering ▁plants ▁appear ▁first ▁before ▁the ▁can opy ▁fills ▁out . ▁There after , ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁light ▁available ▁to ▁plants ▁is ▁significantly ▁reduced ▁and ▁only ▁those ▁that ▁are ▁su ited ▁to ▁such ▁conditions ▁can ▁th rive ▁there . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁grass land ▁consists ▁of ▁only ▁m oss ▁and ▁her b ▁layers . ▁Sometimes , ▁a ▁shr ub ▁layer ▁builds ▁up ▁in ▁grass lands ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁sp ont aneous ▁re for est ation ▁( ec ological ▁succession ). ▁ ▁Forest ▁floor ▁▁ ▁The ▁term ▁forest ▁floor ▁can ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁m oss ▁and ▁root ▁layers ▁( see ▁below ), ▁but ▁often ▁is ▁defined ▁more ▁broad ly