overstory

/ˈō-vər-ˌstȯr-ē/ (ame, mw)

overstory — noun

1. the upper layer of leaves and branches that spreads across the top of a forest

1.名詞C2
釋義

the upper layer of leaves and branches that spreads across the top of a forest

例句

Sunlight barely reached the ground through the dense overstory.

preposition: through the overstory

Beatriz measured how the overstory cooled the air below.

pattern: overstory cools the air below

同義詞
  • canopy

    more common in general English for the leafy cover above a forest; overstory is more technical and structural

  • crown layer

    technical phrase that highlights the joined crowns rather than the whole forest layer

反義詞
  • understory

    the lower layer of shrubs and young trees growing under the main tree cover

  • forest floor

    the ground layer below the trees

文法句型

the overstory

through the overstory

gaps in the overstory

用法筆記

Common in forestry and ecology when describing the upper layer above the understory. Unlike canopy, it often emphasizes the forest's vertical structure rather than the view from below.

常見錯誤

❌A single branch was the overstory of the oak.
✅The overstory of the oak grove blocked the noon sun.
💡overstory names the upper layer of a wooded area, not one branch.

2. the tall trees that make up this upper layer in a forest or woodland

2.名詞C2
釋義

the tall trees that make up this upper layer in a forest or woodland

例句

Foresters marked the overstory before cutting smaller trees from the site.

pattern: mark the overstory before cutting

The overstory in this wet valley is mostly oak and maple.

pattern: overstory is + species

同義詞
  • canopy trees

    common forestry phrase for the trees that make up the upper cover

  • dominant trees

    focuses on trees that rise above their neighbors, not the whole upper layer

反義詞

文法句型

the overstory is + species

[trees] form the overstory

mark/remove the overstory

用法筆記

Usually refers to the upper tree group as a whole, not to one tall tree. Common after verbs such as form, mark, thin, and remove in forestry writing.

常見錯誤

❌One overstory fell across the road.
✅One overstory tree fell across the road.
💡overstory usually refers to the upper tree layer or the group of trees in it, not one individual tree.