Northern Hardwood Forest Ecosystem

Also pine northern hardwood forests have more white pine pinus strobus or red pine p.

Northern hardwood forest ecosystem. These forests also go by the names. Resinosa and less hemlock. Hemlock northern hardwoods and mixed forests. In both ecosystems roots 0 5 mm comprised the bulk of fine root biomass and n pools and the contribution of these roots to northern hardwood ecosystem carbon and nitrogen budgets may have been underestimated in the past.

The northern hardwood forest is a general type of north american forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central canada ontario and quebec extending south into the united states in northern new england new york and pennsylvania and west along the great lakes to minnesota and western ontario some ecologists consider it a transitional forest because it contains species. Resilience is an emergent property of an ecosystem that reflects the amount of disturbance the system can withstand before shifting into an alternative stable state early warning signals declining resilience of a northern hardwood forest cary institute of ecosystem studies. 2 fine root biomass in the mature hardwood forest was 471 gm 2 for 2 mm roots in june 1987 and was concentrated in the surface soil with 43 in the forest floor horizons. This forest ecosystem can be found over most of the northern half of the state and is often referred to by foresters as the spruce fir northern hardwoods zone.

The main tree in this forest ecosystem is the sugar maple. Red spruce and balsam fir are the most widespread conifers. Conifer dominated and hardwood dominated forests intergrade with one. Common plants animals and insects found in the northern hardwoods ecosystem are.

These forests are typical of elevations below 700 m. The forest ecosystem is just one of a number of unique ecosystems including prairies deserts polar regions and great oceans smaller lakes. Pine northern hardwood forests occur in drier more well drained soils while hemlock northern hardwood forests tend to be found in moister areas. The northern hardwoods are located in the seaboard lowlands and south of the coniferous forests but there is considerable blending of the two communities.

In the northern hardwood zone of hubbard brook experimental forest to aid under standing of the role of roots in ecosystem function. In michigan the northern hardwoods ecosystem is the most common forest ecosystem type.