Trees In The Northern Hardwood Forest

Some northern hardwood conifer forests have been repeatedly high graded and are now dominated by low quality low value trees and are less dense less mature and less diverse.

Trees in the northern hardwood forest.

The wood from hardwood trees tends to be harder because the trees grow at a slower rate giving the wood its greater density. Monograph 9 economic botany of alabama part 2 1928 by roland m. High grading affects wildlife by removing the larger diameter trees which reduces the development of large nut producing trees large diameter cavity trees and. Most common hardwoods unlike the conifers or softwood firs spruce and pines hardwood trees have evolved into a broad array of common species.

To date 79 plots of this group have been sampled in 18 counties fig. Forest trees of alabama. Sugar maple yellow birch american beech and white ash are the common key indicator tree and shrub species in the northern hardwood forest. You can easily identify a hardwood from a conifer.

The northern hardwood forest occupies the northern third of the state and extends south at high elevations along the allegheny front. Northern hardwood forests have been well sampled in virginia especially in the mount rogers whitetop area of the southern blue ridge and on allegheny mountain in highland county. This forest type is characterized by a mixture of hardwoods and conifers and usually contains. American beech yellow birch and maple trees are indicators of this forest type although many species from other forest types grow here also.

They include the important commercial tree species of alabama plus some flora that are quite limited in their range and use. 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. The most dominant life form in the northern hardwood forest are deciduous trees which lose their leaves each fall and are almost completely dormant in the winter months. Sugar maple red maple hemlock basswood and yellow birch are the most common trees in michigan s northern hardwood nh forest.

Later successional trees of the nh type have the ability to reproduce themselves under the shade of the forest canopy. Most but not all hardwoods are deciduous perennial plants which are normally leafless for some time during the year. Northern hardwood forests dominate middle to upper elevations from 3 500 5 000 feet in the park. Hardwood trees usually have broad flat leaves as opposed to coniferous needled or scaled tree foliage another name for a hardwood tree is appropriately broadleaf.

1 although some of the classified units are better supported by plot data than others. One hundred native trees are described in this manual. It also occurs farther south on north facing slopes and cool moist ravines. Typical secondary species are beech black cherry quaking aspen and white ash.