Wisconsin is the southern tip of an extensive forest originating in Canada. Boreal forest is found along the shore of Lake Superior and near the tip of the Door County peninsula on Lake Michigan. Practically no remaining examples exist in Wisconsin today. A thick layer of leaf litter in a boreal forest indicates a slow rate of decomposition. Acidity of the soil and cold temperatures slows the activity of the fungi, bacteria, and animal decomposers.
Winds blowing over the lakes greatly influence the microclimate of the forest.
The lake breezes keep the summer temperatures cool, moisture abundant, and evaporation low. In the winter the temperatures are warmer, and the snow is deeper. Species listed below are most likely found in the community. Click here , for a complete list of species that may grow in this forest. Balsam fir, white spruce.