Download Introduction to Leaf Identification

Types of Leaves
Forest layers
Canopy
Canopy
Tallest trees
Tops of trees form a ceiling
Treetops stop a lot of the light
Protects the soil from erosion
Understory
Understory
Smaller trees with thin
trunks
Stop just below canopy
Wait for a gap to grow into
canopy
Shrub Layer
Shrub Layer
Small shrubs (woody stems
but small)
Grow between the smaller
trees
Forest Floor
Forest Floor
 Dark
 Covered in a layer of leaves, twigs, and
dead plants
 Decayed leaves provide nutrients to soil
 Alive with invertebrates and
microorganisms
Alternate or Opposite Leaves
Simple Leaf
Simple Leaf
Compound leaf
Compound Leaf
Compound leaves
Leaf Margins (edges)
 Smooth
Serrated = with teeth