The Big Woods . Mesic forests are scattered as disconnected islands in the southern region.
Maple woods grow on north slopes and areas protected from fire.
Smaller sites are in Grant, Green, Sauk, and Dane counties. Mesic forests grow best in deep, loamy soils but will grow wherever the topography is not extreme. Before European settlement, mesic forests grew on lands protected from fire such as the leeward side of lakes. The entire ecosystem is greatly influenced by the life history of the sugar maple. The striking difference between a mesic forest and other southern forests is the low light level on the forest floor in the summer due to the deep shade cast by the sugar maple leaves.