The basic ecosystem type of the area is temperate deciduous forest. The area has a long history of logging, which has depleted these forests of larger trees. Settlement tends to have occurred in the areas of deeper soil, and fire has particularly influenced the uplands. Reference to the forest descriptions of early surveyors has documented decline in species such as hemlock, which were preferentially removed for leather tanning. Criteria for restoring these forests have been established, and include increased tree size, spring ephemeral abundance, and coarse woody debris. Pollen cores from Lanark County provide information about longer term trends in forest cover.