In the most general sense, a
glade or
clearing is an open area within a
woodland. Glades are often grassy
meadows under the canopy of
deciduous trees such as
red alder or
quaking aspen in western
North America. They also represent openings in
forests where local conditions such as
avalanches, poor soils, or fire damage have created semi-permanent clearings. They are very important to herbivorous animals, such as
deer and
elk, for
forage and denning activities.