Since coming to the very clear and apparent revelation that all things pertain to hardwood mats, and that hardwood mats pertain to all things, weve been dedicated to leaving no subject unexplored and no point of interest unsearched. I guess were a bit like that overenthusiastic father who, on a cross country road trip, stops at every notable landmark, rest stop, state line, and tumbleweed along the way. There is something about curiosity killing the cat that is lost on us. In recent months weve been examining the hardwood forests responsible for much of our hardwood mat, lumber mat, timber mat, bridge mat, crane mat and rig mat production. We took a look at deciduous trees, an often-used hardwood variety of tree useful in hardwood mat manufacturing. We explored bottomland forests whose crop is responsible for most of our hardwood-based products here in the U.S. And now, in the name of progress and continued exploration, we are going to move our exploration expedition slightly north and continue to look at another common forest type responsible, in part, for the production of crane mats and other hardwood products. The northern hardwood forest is a type of forest ecosystem typically found in much of southeastern and south central Canada. These forests extend as far south as New York, New England and even along much of the Great Lakes and Minnesota. This particular forest is often considered to be a transitional forest as it rests between two predominant forest types to the north and to the south (in case you needed reminding, most of our ecosystem variation and climate variation is based on both latitude and altitude). The forests to the north of our northern hardwood forest are called Boreal forests, while the forests to the south are called oak-hickory forests. Well look at these two types a little closer later on, but for now, well continue with the northern hardwood forest. Much of its vegetation consists of striped maple, sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, hobblebush, and hemlock. These forests are known for their beauty during the fall as their leaves change into brilliant colors before falling off the trees. Because of the quality and strength of these trees, they were highly valued and logged heavily. Most of the northern hardwood forests in North America are not virgin forests, but rather have been replanted and regrown. So next time you see a hardwood mat, crane mat, rig mat or bridge mat, ponder, if you will, its origins and the forests type it came from or dont either way, theyll keep the ground below you sturdy and stable.