The surficial deposits vary in thicknesses from 100m to 1000m on top of the Cretaceous Age bedrock. The PANP land is managed by the Canadian Parks Service. There are two major vegetation zones in the study area,the mixed wood section of the boreal forest region and the aspen grove section. Location of the SSA within Canada. The Southern Study Area has six main sites in and around the Price Albert National Park and Narrow Hills Provincial Forest.
White spruce is also common and balsam fir occurs in minor quantities.
The agricultural transition occurs to the south of the PANP boundary. The eastern section of the study area is in the mixed wood section of the boreal forest zone. Around Candle Lake, mixed woods composed of aspen and white spruce are common where the sites are well drained. Jack pine-black spruce exist around the Torch River Plain with pure stands of jack pine on dry sites composed of coarse textured soils. In the poorly drained areas throughout the study area, bogs support black spruce with some tamarack.