Mixed forests are a
temperate and
humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the
canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from high. Below the canopy is the three-layered,
shade-tolerant understory that is roughly shorter than the canopy. The top layer of the understory is the sub-canopy composed of smaller mature trees,
saplings, and suppressed juvenile canopy layer trees awaiting an opening in the canopy. Below the sub-canopy is the
shrub layer, composed of low growing woody plants. Typically the lowest growing (and most
diverse) layer is the
ground cover or
herbaceous layer.