Ontario's Forest Regions: Deciduous Forest

The deciduous forest region is the most southerly and is situated north of Lake Erie. While it has most of the tree and shrubs species found in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest, it also contains black walnut, butternut, tulip, magnolia, black gum, many types of oaks, hickories, sassafras and red bud - species commonly found in Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. Although it covers less than 1% of Canada's land mass, the region is now home to more than 25% of Canada's population. 

 

 

The early European settlers cleared much of the original deciduous forest because the rich soil and moderate climate of the area were ideal for agriculture. This forest generally has the greatest diversity of tree species, while at the same time having the lowest proportion of forest.

 

Today, more than 90 per cent of Ontario’s 13 million residents live in the south. As a result, this region has largely been cleared with scattered woodlots remaining on sites too poor for agriculture. Efforts to maintain and enhance forest cover in this area have occurred for over 100 years. Tree planting efforts under various programs have converted over 130,000 hectares of abandoned agricultural lands into forest, and an equivalent amount of new forest has been established on private lands through agreements with landowners. There are many types of forest plants found in this region that are not found anywhere else in Canada.

 

More Facts:    

• In this region, the forest life is the most diverse in Ontario.
• This region has a number of nationally rare species of mammals, birds, plants and insects. Some examples are the sassafras and tulip tree, the southern flying squirrel and red-bellied woodpecker.
• Many species of reptiles and amphibians can also be found in the region, such as the black rat snake, milk snake and gray tree frog.