Annapolis, Maryland, USA Photograph by David Olson   Eastern North America: Eastern United States Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   134,300 square miles (347,800 square kilometers) -- nearly twice the size of Washington Critical/Endangered

· Tops in Species
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Tops in Species

This ecoregion ranks among the top 10 in the United States in number of endemic reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, and mammals. There are more than 3,600 native species of herbs and shrubs, the highest in North America.

Special Features

The most dominant ecological force in shaping both composition and structure of the Southeastern Mixed Forests ecoregion, prior to European settlement, was fire. Fire disturbance favored the growth of oaks and provided good seed beds for pines, which were a much more dominant part of these forests back then.

	American ginseng grows here. There is a high demand for this plant as an herbal medicine, which has caused severe declines in some areas.

Wild Side

Pines and hardwood trees such as oaks and hickories spread their canopies over cedar and holly trees. Dogwood and redbud fill the understory and add color in spring and fall. White-tailed deer, black bears, and box turtles explore the woods, while luna moths and flying squirrels glide quietly through the evening forests.

Cause for Concern

The Southeastern Mixed Forests ecoregion is the most heavily settled ecoregion along the east coast of the United States, with an estimated 99 percent of the natural habitat having been logged and converted to tobacco and peanut crops and other uses. Only small blocks of highly fragmented habitat are left in national forests and rocky outcrops. These fragments face threats from continued logging, conversion to pine plantations, and lack of fire management.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.