The North Quabbin region is home to a variety of forest types in a transitional zone between northern and central hardwood forests.

Over 80% (178,000 acres) of the region is blanketed with forest. Deciduous forests comprise about 40% of the forested area and are dominated by northern hardwoods such as sugar maple, red maple, American beech, yellow birch and paper birch. Coniferous forests make up 22% of the area and include eastern hemlock and eastern white pine. Another 30% of forested area is "mixed" forest with various combinations of deciduous and coniferous species. Northern red oak and black oak are commonly found throughout the region in each of these forest types. The remaining 7% of North Quabbin forestland consists of forested wetlands such as red maple swamps.

North Quabbin forests support wide variety of mammal, amphibian, reptile, bird, fish, and insect species. Species requiring large ranges as part of their life cycles, such as bobcat, black bear, fisher, and moose are able to thrive in some of the state’s most expansive contiguous forest. The 30,000 acres of wetlands found here create excellent habitat for many bird, amphibian, and reptile species while providing important resources for species that require both forest and wetland habitats to survive.
Important Ecological Resources

Due in part to its varied topography, wealth of wetland and riparian resources, and location at the transition of two major forest cover types, the North Quabbin region hosts a wide variety of plant associations (called "natural communities") and their related species of flora and fauna.
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program’s BioMap project (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhesp.htm) is a unique statewide effort to identify the ecologically important areas that should be prioritized for protection. Uncommon natural communities, rare species, and large undeveloped areas were just a few of the criteria used to determine ecological importance for this project. The project designated "core" areas of importance as well as "supporting natural landscapes"--areas that act as quality buffers for the core parcels.

The North Quabbin region is a state hotspot for these priority habitat protection areas. The nine towns contain 85,544 acres of core habitat and 108,856 acres of supporting natural landscape. That means over 38% of the region is considered core habitat!

Portions of these important ecological areas are already protected by conservation restrictions or through ownership by a land conservation organization. Approximately 42% of the region’s core habitat area and 24% of the supporting natural landscape is permanently protected.

Rare and endangered species locations are an important component BioMap’s identification of priority parcels. According to the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program there are 33 rare species including six endangered species that have been sighted in the last 25 years in the nine towns of the North Quabbin.

To search for a list of rare species in your town visit http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/info_by_town.htm and click on "Rare Species Occurrences by Town."