Awoodland(/ˈwʊdlənd/(listen)) is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees,[1][2]or in a narrow sense, synonymous withwood(or in the U.S., theplurale tantumwoods), a low-densityforestforming openhabitatswith plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory ofshrubsandherbaceous plantsincludinggrasses. Woodland may form a transition toshrublandunder drier conditions or during early stages ofprimaryorsecondary succession. Higher-density areas of trees with a largely closedcanopythat provides extensive and nearly continuousshadeare often referred to asforests.
Extensive efforts byconservationistgroups have been made to preserve woodlands fromurbanizationandagriculture.
