Managing a Canopy
Natural Resource Managers also have to consider what we call the basal area, or the total area of forest canopy that crowds over the under-story and forest floor. This means that they are taking into consideration the long-term management of a forest and its succession, or how it will age. By doing this, we have to ensure that desirable trees are receiving the proper amount of sunlight. This will help the young trees to grow straight and tall, instead of outward or not very much at all. Small trees in the under-story are typically called suppressed, meaning they are crowded below. The largest and most biologically mature trees at the top of the canopy are called "dominant" trees. Large trees that aren't quite the biggest in the forest are called "co-dominant" trees, and the smaller trees between here and suppressed are considered "intermediate".