Japanese honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica).Of these types, some of the most common groundcovers include: Ornamental grasses, especially low-growing varieties.Shrubs of low-growing, spreading species.Vines, which are woody plants with slender, spreading stems. Groundcover that keeps its foliage for the entire year is known as evergreen, whereas groundcover that loses its foliage in the winter months is known as deciduous.įive general types of plants are commonly used as groundcovers in gardening: Groundcover can also be classified in terms of its foliage. These height differences make ideal environments for a variety of animals, such as the reed warbler, the harvest mouse and the wren. Transient species are capable of growing past 1.5 meters, and are therefore only temporarily considered herbaceous. Residency species typically reach a maximum of 1.5 meters in height, and are therefore permanently classified as herbaceous. Two common variations of groundcover are residency and transient species. An experiment conducted with the rhododendron maximum canopy in the southern Appalachian region concluded that 4 to 8% of total sunlight makes it to the herbaceous layer, whereas only about 1 to 2% reaches the ground. Groundcover also inhibits the amount of light which reaches the floor of an ecosystem. In some areas, the groundcover can become so dense that no seeds can permeate the surface, and the forest is instead converted to shrubbery. This filtration provides ample amount of space between the seeds for future growth. The groundcover filters out a large amount seeds, but lets a smaller portion of seeds pass through and grow. All tree seedlings must first fall from their origin trees and then permeate the layer created by groundcover in order to reach the soil and germinate. Groundcover has also been known to influence the placement and growth of tree seedlings. Active responses occur with sudden disturbances to the environment, such as tornadoes and forest fires. Legacy responses occur during long-term changes to an environment, such as the conversion of a forest to agricultural land and back into forest. These responses can be classified as legacy or active responses. Like most foliage, groundcover reacts to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
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