What is the Carolinian Forest
Parts of south-western Ontario form the northernmost edge of a rich and
diverse deciduous forest that extends deep into Kentucky, Tennessee and the
Carolinas, from which this forest takes its name.

Carolinian forest in Canada is unfortunately known more for the forces that
threaten it than for its incredible biological diversity. Over two centuries
of settlement, forest clearing and urban development have spared less than
5% of the original Canadian Carolinian woodland, with much of this
fragmented into isolated wood lots of questionable long-term viability. A
typical Carolinian forest could be roughly divided into three areas with
certain tree species (of which a few are listed here) found most commonly is
each area:
Area 1 - Swamp Forest - could contain silver maple, swamp white oak,
Carolinian water ash, sycamore,
etc.
Area 2 - Mesic Forest - would support red oak, black cherry, white ash,
tulip tree, beech, sassafras, etc.

Area 3 - Dry Forest - includes white oak, witch hazel, flowering dogwood,
white pine, blue beech, aspen, etc.