Download 221-Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

Description of Ecological Subregions: Sections of the Conterminous United States
221-Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province
This province has a continental-type climate of cold winters and warm
summers. Annual precipitation is greater during summer, water
deficits infrequent. Topography is variable, ranging from plains to low
hills of low relief along Atlantic coast. Interior areas are high hills to
semi-mountainous, parts of which were glaciated. Vegetation is
characterized by tall, cold-deciduous broadleaf forests that have a high
proportion of mesophytic species.
221A-Lower New England Section
The landscape is a combination of broad, hilly plateaus with features
including a basin, plain, and ridge. Bedrock geology is varied and
complex, consisting of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
Forest vegetation includes oak-hickory, white-red-jack pine, maplebeech-birch, and aspen-birch cover types. (Photo: USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service)
221B-Hudson Valley Section
The physiography consists of linear lowlands of a glacial lake plain with high escarpments on both sides.
Bedrock is a mixture of carbonates, shales, siltstones, and sandstones with areas of metasediments and
metavolcanics. Vegetation consists of maple-beech-birch, oak-hickory, and aspen-birch cover types.
221D-Northern Appalachian Piedmont Section
This area is an unglaciated, maturely dissected peneplain sloping to the
coast with hilly to rolling terrain with occasional high ridges. Bedrock
is mostly a mixture of conglomerate-sandstones-shales with mixed
metamorphics of marble, quartzite, slate, schist, and gneiss. Vegetation
is a mixture mainly of oak-hickory and loblolly-shortleaf pine cover
types. (Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
221E-Southern Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau Section
This section is a maturely dissected plateau of high hills, sharp ridges,
and narrow valleys. Bedrock is mainly sandstone, siltstones, and shales
with some limestones and coal. Forests are a mixture of oak-hickory
and loblolly-shortleaf pine cover types. (Photo: H.McNab, USDA
Forest Service)
221F-Western Glaciated Allegheny Plateau Section
This section has a maturely dissected upland modified by glaciation
consisting of rounded hills, ridges and broad valleys. Bedrock
composed of sedimentary formations of shales, sandstones, and coal.
Vegetation is forests of maple-beech-birch, oak-hickory, and aspenbirch cover types. (Photo: H.McNab, USDA Forest Service)
9
Description of Ecological Subregions: Sections of the Conterminous United States
221H-Northern Cumberland Plateau Section
This area is moderately dissected level-bedded plateau of high hills
with lesser areas of tablelands and low mountains. Rock formations are
mainly sandstones and shales. Forests are mostly oak-hickory and oakpine cover types. (Photo: R.Stephens, USDA Forest Service)
221J-Central Ridge and Valley Section
This section has a maturely dissected landscape of open hills with
folded, faulted, and uplifted belt of parallel valleys and ridges.
Carbonate rock formations dominate. Existing cover type is mainly
agricultural and urban. Small areas of natural cover types remain
consisting of forests of oak-hickory, oak-pine, and white-red-jack pine.
(Photo H.McNab, USDA Forest Service)
222-Midwest Broadleaf Forest Province
The climate in this province is continental with warm to hot summers.
Frequent growing season water deficits. Flat to hilly terrain with
features associated with former glaciation. Vegetation consists of colddeciduous, hardwood-dominated forests with a high proportion of
species able to tolerate mild, brief, periodic drought during the late
summer.
222H-Central Till Plains-Beech-Maple Section
The landscape is level to gently rolling till plains with broad bottom lands. Soils derived from thick
ground and end moraines. Sedimentary rocks are under the till. Existing cover type is mainly agricultural
and urban. Small areas of natural cover types consist of forests of maple-beech-birch, oak-hickory, and
aspen-birch.
222I-Erie and Ontario Lake Plain Section
The landscape is level to gently rolling till and lake plains. Soils
developed in thick tills and lacustrine deposits. Forests are maplebeech-birch, aspen-birch, and white-red-jack pine cover types. (Photo:
A. Baglin, USDA Agricultural Research Service)
10