Description

Embro Upland Forest, close to Stratford, is in the northern reaches of the Carolinian life zone. The site comprises two large woodlots that lie along the unopened 12th Concession Road, which is a trail. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, predominantly covered with Sugar Maple and American Beech, representing the best example of rich forests in this northern part of the Carolinian life zone. Two regionally rare bird species, Cerulean Warbler and Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, nest here (taken from the Carolinian Canada Signature Sites Guide by Lorraine Johnson 2005).

Embro Upland Forest is a good example of a site where participating landowners committed to restoring linkages and buffers can make a positive difference in creating larger interior forest habitat and connecting landscape fragments, thus providing habitat for vulnerable species. Eight private landowners have entered into Natural Heritage Stewardship Agreements, protecting more than 70% of the Embro Upland Forest (taken from the Carolinian Canada Signature Sites Guide by Lorraine Johnson 2005).

Vegetation

The flat to gently rolling terrain supports mesic upland forest of young to intermediate-aged sugar maple, ash, beech, black cherry, red maple; the lowlying areas contain yellow birch, red maple, sugar maple- ash (Hanna 1980 in Eagles and Beechey 1985).

References

* Allen, G.M., P.F.J. Eagles and S.D. Price (eds.) 1990. Conserving Carolinian Canada: Conservation Biology in the Deciduous Forest Region. University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo. 346 pp.

* Eagles, P.F.J. and T.J. Beechey (eds.) 1985. Critical Unprotected Natural Areas in the Carolinian Life Zone of Canada. Final Report, Identification Subcommittee, Carolinian Canada. The Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Ontario Heritage Foundation and World Wildlife Fund (Canada). 400 pp.

© Natural Heritage Information Centre, 1998

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