Download the report Plan de conservation pour l’écorégion de la vallée du Saint-Laurent et du lac Champlain
The ecoregion includes the lowlands centered on the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers stretching from Quebec City to the Frontenac Axis near Brockville, Ontario. It is bounded on the north by the hilly Laurentian Highlands and the Eastern Quebec Uplands to the south. Most of the region is intensively cultivated farmland (60%) with corn being the dominant crop grown. Mixedwood forests of Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Eastern Hemlock, and Eastern White Pine form the most stable vegetation in the region; Beech occurs on warmer sites. Dry sites are dominated by Red Pine, Eastern White Cedar, and Red Oak. Wetter sites support Red Maple, Black Ash, White Spruce, Tamarack, and Eastern White Cedar. Characteristic wildlife includes Deer, Black Bear, Moose, Wolf, Hare, Chipmunk, other small mammals, waterfowl, and other birds.
Most of the natural habitat in this ecoregion has been lost to suburban development and agriculture. Pollution is also a large threat to the area. The St. Lawrence waterway is one of the most polluted waterways in North America.
In 2002 The Nature Conservancy published an ecoregional assessment for the U.S. portion of the ecoregion.
Nature Conservancy of Canada lead an ecoregional assessment for the Canadian portion of the ecoregion. This work was completed in 2007 and published in 2010.
