The ridge line next to the trail is thick with low tree grown and tree litter. The low growth is so abundant due to the extra sunlight the open trail offers. farther into the forest there is noticeably less clutter in the understory because the large surrounding trees absorb all of the sunlight. The tree litter likely has something to do with the clearing of the trail as well. The tree liter on the ridge line may be a result of the maintenance of the trail. When something falls on the trail, it is pushed of to the side by humans. This provides shelter for small mammals such as rabbits and squirrels.