Northern Hardwoods Trees
Northern hardwood forest types can be managed as even or uneven aged stands using a variety of silvicultural practices.
Northern hardwoods trees. Since trees grow forests naturally get too crowded for optimum growth. You can easily identify a hardwood from a conifer. Thousands of acres of northern hardwood conifer forests grow on well drained fertile slopes of hillsides in new hampshire typically between 1 500 and 2 500 feet in elevation. Sugar maple yellow birch american beech and white ash are the common key indicator tree and shrub species in the northern hardwood forest.
Crowding is the single most important factor. Another name for a hardwood tree is appropriately broadleaf. Forests where a majority of their trees drop leaves at the end of the typical growing season are called deciduous forests. The most common species in north america are oaks maple hickory birch beech and cherry.
Most but not all hardwoods are deciduous perennial plants which are normally leafless for some time during the year. Hardwood trees usually have broad flat leaves as opposed to coniferous needled or scaled tree foliage. The trees and shrub species of the northern hardwood forest are known for their brilliant fall colors making the regions that contain this forest type popular fall foliage tourist destinations. Northern hardwood forest type that includes maple and beech is next in abundance covering around 20 percent of ohio s forestland.
Unlike the conifers or softwood firs spruce and pines hardwood trees have evolved into a broad array of common species. The division of forestry promotes and applies management for the sustainable use and protection of ohio s private and public forest lands. Elm ash forests are still common in northwest ohio and along streamside areas.