understory

By keeping fire out of the state’s wildlands altogether, California has grown thick with branches, brush and understory that are now acting as fuel for the state’s ever-larger blazes.

The understory of the ponderosa and sugar pine forest was speckled with manzanita, oak trees and dogwoods with yellow leaves, marking the start of fall.

“We understand the community’s concerns, appreciate the feedback we’ve received,” Saeki said, adding that the city will plant larger replacement trees “wherever possible,” as well as add 39,000 square feet of understory landscaping and 18,000 square feet of new park space.

Many Indigenous cultures, for example, used a practice called intentional burning -- also known as cultural burning -- which decreased forest density, promoted healthy understory growth, and hosted a broad diversity of plant and animal life.

These practices over time yielded "mosaics" of forests made up of diverse patches of trees varying in age, density, and overstory and understory composition.