Nearctic Temperate Mixed Forest - Code: Ne3C

Found in the e. United States and se. Canada, Nearctic temperate mixed forest is a shady, moist, mossy forest crisscrossed by hemlock-lined ravines. This habitat walks the line between Nearctic temperate deciduous forest and Nearctic Boreal Forest while remaining distinct from both. The climate is characterized by long, cold winters and warm summers. Snow is often on the ground for five months of the year and contributes a significant portion of the 30–50 in. (750–1,250mm) of precipitation received annually. 
Nearctic temperate mixed forest has a very dense canopy that is typically 50–65 ft. (15–20m) tall. The poorly lit area under the canopy is home to only the most shade-tolerant plants and is often very open. Primary canopy species include American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), and Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). The mid-story is dominated by Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), which adds a distinctly northern feel. Smaller maples as well as Sweet Birch (Betula lenta), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and dogwoods (Cornus spp.) make up most of the remaining mid-story. The shrub layer is often quite open. One major exception to this is encountered in the impenetrable thickets of rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.) and Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) that grow along streams and ravines. The understory is also sparse and typically includes mosses, ferns, and a few herbaceous plants like violets (Viola spp.) and May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum).
Appalachian Cove Forest is a subtype of Nearctic Temperate Mixed Forest. In many ways this habitat is a southern elevational range extension of temperate mixed forest, though there are a subset of canopy trees found here that are more typical of southern Nearctic Temperate Deciduous Forests. Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava), Basswood (Tilia flava), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and Fraser Magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) are all prominent here and rare or absent throughout the rest of the habitat. 
Appalachian Pine-Oak Forest is another subtype found in dry south facing slopes and rocky soils throughout the Appalachian, Ozark and Ouchita Mountains. Again the canopy trees vary significantly and the forest floor is often dry and bare apart from dense leaf litter. White oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), southern red oak (Quercus falcata), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea),  shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), red hickory (Carya ovalis), pignut hickory (Carya glabra),Virginia pines (Pinus virginiana), and Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinate) are all important trees in this subtype. While the forest is a mixed deciduous-conifer forest the wildlife life here more or less overlaps with Nearctic Temperate Deciduous Forest and is covered there. 
Early in its succession, this habitat is a dense thicket of shrubs and small trees with an entirely different feel. Lacking in the shade-loving Eastern Hemlock, this seral stage is characterized by small canopy of small Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides), alder (Alnus spp.)
The understory and shrub layer is dense and typically contains fescues (Festuca spp.), Dogwoods (Cornus spp.), willows (Salix spp.), goldenrod (Solidago spp.), blackberries (Rubus spp.), viburnums (Viburnum spp.), White meadowsweet (Spirea alba) and small maples (Acer spp.).