Because there are no leaves in the spring, sunlight reaches the forest floor and wildflowers are able to grow. Deciduous forest in fall. The yellow leaves indicate most trees are poplar and birch. The Canadian Shield is characterized by the presence of rocky outcrops. The rocky areas are not covered by soil.
Plants take a foothold along cracks or in depressions where moisture content is higher.
Mosses create organic matter may accumulate in the cracks and the depressions. These plants make the local habitat more suitable for seed-bearing plants. Mosses on the forest floor prefer the moist, acid conditions of a conifer forest. The acid conditions and low nutrient conditions of the coniferous forest floor does not sustain many varieties of flowers. The mosses are able to digest the forest remains or the mineral soils to acquire their nutrients.