Northern Hardwood Forest Wildlife

The northern hardwood conifer forest is found around the refuge in the mid and upper elevations serving as a transition from the lower hemlock hardwood pine forest to the high elevation spruce fir forest.

Northern hardwood forest wildlife. The northern forest is made up of a mixture of hardwood and boreal forests. Northern hardwood forest types can be managed as even or uneven aged stands using. This guide also includes an appendix of familiar tables and charts useful to practicing field foresters. On wildlife habitat and the management of mixed wood and northern hardwood oak stands.

The understory of the northern hardwood forest includes several species of shrub. Hobblebush which also occurs commonly in mixed wood forests is a native deciduous shrub which abounds in rich moist woods throughout the adirondack mountains it produces flat topped clusters of fragrant white flowers in the spring. The hardwood forests which include oak sugar maple and beech trees are found in the southern areas of the region. Fragmentation is a major issue in this ecological landscape since northern hardwood swamps are typically found within a mix of forest and farmland.

Northern hardwood forests provide habitat for numerous wildlife species that also rely heavily on spruce fir forests. Because of the spatial relationship between them and the fact that they share many ecological components and plant species northern hardwood forests are critical to. Northern hardwood spruce fir forests mark the transition to the high elevation spruce fir forest habitat but in most cases are considered part of the northern hardwood conifer forest system. Approximately 705 acres of northern hardwood conifer forest are present on the refuge.

Dandy creek swamp in meadow valley wildlife area monroe county is one example of protected northern hardwood swamp in this ecological landscape. The boreal forests which include spruce and fir trees extend north into canada. This is the most abundant refuge habitat type. The area of northern hardwood forests is probably decreasing due to increasing area of conifer red spruce and hemlock dominated forests and from development pressure and exploitation for timber.

Slowing this trend some areas of early successional habitat and forests currently dominated by red oak are expected to become northern hardwood forests in the future. New hampshire wildlife action plan appendix b 63 hardwood pine forest habitats but generally form small patches. Many wildlife species of conservation concern found in northern hardwood conifer forests are attracted to patches of old or young trees within the larger forest area.