The southern mixed forest

"All the land, on both sides of the river to Hochelaga [Montréal] and beyond, is as fine and even a piece of earth as man ever laid eyes on... All this land is covered with an abundance of trees of various sorts, and many vines... " [Translation] The forest of the St. Lawrence Valley left a strong impression on Jacques Cartier during his voyage to Canada in 1535. Today, less than 10% of the forest cover remains. This zone, which includes the southern Ontario peninsula and the St. Lawrence Valley as far as Québec, is the most densely populated and the most heavily farmed zone in Canada.

The winters here are fairly cold (average winter temperatures range between –2.5^oC and –7^oC), but the summers are relatively warm and long (16^oC to 18^oC). The region has abundant rainfall.

These climatic conditions have favoured the proliferation of hardwoods (maple, beech, elm, linden, oak, walnut and hickory), and for this reason the ecozone is named Mixedwood Plains.

Under the thick foliage lives an abundance of small mammals, including raccoons, squirrels and eastern cottontails. Large animals, such as white-tailed deer and black bears, are less common here.

	Black bear Photo: Loui Massicotte

Raccoon Photo: Loui Massicotte