Discover Carolina
The Mountain Bridge Wilderness
Pre-Visit Activity

Adaptation- An inherited characteristic or behavior that helps an organism survive in their environment.

Canopy- The highest layer in the forest made up of the tall trees.

Deciduous- Plants that lose all their leaves and are not green all year.

Decomposer- Organisms that break down living material (plants and animals) and recycle their nutrients.

Ecology- The study of relationships between living organisms and their environment.

Environment- The living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts.

Evergreen- Plants that don’t lose all their leaves and stay green all year long.

Forest- A stand of trees along with many other types of life over a large area that supports other life forms.

Habitat- The place where an organism lives.

Herb- Plants with soft, non-woody stems, like wildflowers and ferns.

Herb Layer- The lowest layer of forest made up of herbs.

Invertebrate- An animal without a backbone.

Shrub Layer- The layer of forest made up of low woody plants.

Understory- The layer of forest made up of shorter trees.

Vertebrate- An animal with a backbone.