Home > Carolinian zone

This region is the northern continuation of the deciduous forest region of the eastern United States which extends south to the Carolinas. Besides its southern location, the climate of this area is also moderated by the nearby Great Lakes, so it is able to support animal and plant species usually not found in other parts of Canada. Because the major population centres of Ontario are located nearby, there has been significant loss of wetlands and forested areas to urban areas and farms.

Examples of species found in this region are:

• Virginia Opossum
• American Badger
• Hooded Warbler
• Prothonotary Warbler
• Carolina Wren
• Yellow-breasted Chat
• Eastern prickly pear cactus
• Tulip tree
• SassafrasSassafras Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Laurales Family: Lauraceae Genus Sassafras Species officinale Species Sassafras officinale Sassafras is a tree or shrub Sassafras officinale of the La

Protected areas in the Carolinian zone include:

• Point Pelee National ParkPoint Pelee National Park is a park in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It consists of a peninsula of land, mainly of marsh and woodland habitats, extending into Lake Erie. It forms the southernmost point in mainland Canada and is part of a b
• Pinery Provincial ParkLocated in Grand Bend, Ontario. The Pinery is a provincial park.
• Rondeau Provincial Park
• Wheatley Provincial ParkWheatley Provincial Park is located on Lake Erie near Wheatley, Ontario in Chatham-Kent County. The park occupies 241 ha in southwestern Ontario. Visitors to nearby Point Pelee National Park often camp at this park. A number of small creeks flow through t
• Long PointLong Point is a spit of land located on the north shore of Lake Erie, located in the province of Ontario, Canada. The region is an important location for bird migration in both spring and autumn, including half of the eastern North American Tundra Swan po
• St. Clair National Wildlife Area

Watersheds within this zone include those of the:

• Catfish Creek
• Credit RiverThe Credit River is a river in southern Ontario which flows from headwaters on the Niagara Escarpment to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Ontario, now part of Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately 1,000 km². The total length of the river
• Grand River
• Kettle Creek
• Sydenham River
• Thames River
• Welland River