Forest Habitats

The most common habitat in Eaton and indeed the most common in the state is Hemlock-hardwood-pine forest.  These forests are comprised of mostly hemlock, white pine, beech, and oak trees and provide habitat for numerous wildlife species such as the big brown bat, northren black racer, American marten, veery, moose, and bobcat, shown below.  Many of the species that use this habitat type require large blocks of unfragmented forest such as the northern goshawk and black bear. Since this forest type is so common, it is sometimes overlooked in conservation efforts. Development and fragmentation is a huge threat to the continued existence of hemlock-hardwood-pine forest.  12,800 acres or 78% of the habitat  in Eaton is of this type.

Another common habitat is Northern hardwood-conifer forest with 575 acres in Eaton.  This habitat type is typically found between 1,400 and 2,500 feet in elevation and is usually made up of hardwood trees such as American beech, sugar maple, yellow birch, and conifer trees such as eastern hemlock, white pine, and balsam fir.  This type of forest provides habitat for the state threatened bald eagle, which nests and roosts near lakes and rivers. Other species in this habitat include ruffed grouse, wood thrush, bog lemming,  and the northern long-eared bat.  Forest harvesting is common in this habitat and if done sustainably produces the diversity of age classes and species which is beneficial to wildlife.  Care should be taken to protect unfragmented blocks of this land. 

The Appalacian-oak-pine forest grows in nutrient-poor, dry, sandy soils with a warm, dry, climate influence. The typical vegetation of these forests includes oak, hickory, mountain laurel, and sugar maple. Many wildlife species use these forests for part or all of their life cycle including whip-poor-wills, black bears, scarlet tanager, and the snowshoe hare shown above. Traditionally, Appalachian oak-pine forests are influenced by frequent fires, which change the age structure of the forest, helping to promote wildlife diversity. Sustainable forestry and the preservaiton of unfragmented blocks are important conservation strategies for protecting these forests which comprise 564 acres in Eaton.