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MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 26 . 
Sub-arctic Forest Zone, — The sub-arctic or so called coniferous 
forest extends in the east from the Arctic zone southward to a line 
running from Anticosti to the southern end of Lake Winnipeg. This 
line is practically identical with the northern limits of the White and 
the Red Pine. West of Lake Winnipeg the sub-arctic forest is bounded 
to the south and west by the prairie and the foothills of the Rocky 
Mountains, respectively. The Gasp6 peninsula and the greater part of 
New Brunswick may also be included in the sub-arctic forest. 
As the name indicates, the sub-arctic forest is decidedly boreal. It is 
largely coniferous in character, the only deciduous trees occurring 
throughout the region being poplars and white birch. The sub-arctic 
forest is as yet almost undisturbed by settlers. It forms a vast reserve 
of national wealth, and is destined in the future to furnish the chief 
supply of timber for the pulp and paper industries of eastern North 
America, as Black and White Spruce (Picea mariana and P. canadensis ) 
are dominant trees. Of the other coniferous trees, the Banksian Pine 
(Pinus Banksiana ) is the most important. It reaches perfection in the 
western part of the zone, and constitutes the chief source of supply of 
lumber for the northern prairie region. The other trees characteristic of 
the zone in general are Aspen Poplar ( Populus tremuloides), Balsam Poplar 
(P. balsamifera) , White Birch ( Betula papyrijera), Larch {Larix laricina ) 
and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea). Bewteen Lake Winnipeg and the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, White Cedar ( Thuja occidentalis) , Elm (Ulmus 
americana ) and Ash ( Fraxinus nigra , F . americana ) are occasionally met 
with, but cannot be considered characteristic of the sub-arctic forest. 
On the whole, the sub-arctic forest covers a rolling country with 
numerous bogs and lakes in the depressions. Perhaps its most striking 
character is the abundance of berry shrubs, including Gooseberries ( Ribes 
oxyacanthoides) , Currants (R. hudsonianum } R. triste), Blueberries ( Vac - 
cininm canadense ), Rock Cranberries ( V . Vitis-Idcea ), Raspberries 
(Rubus strigosus), Yellow-berries (R. Chamcemorus) , High-bush Cran- 
berries ( Viburnum Opnlus, V. pauciflorum )and others. 
The vegetation of the bogs shows but little variation, and the species 
encountered in the bogs of one part of the zone are characteristic of 
practically the whole sub-arctic forest. A number of species occurring 
on the tundra further north reach perfection in the bogs of this 
zone. Among the leading bog plants may be mentioned: Ledum 
groenlandicum, Kalmia polifolia , Andromeda glaucophylla , Habenaria 
hyperborea, Epipactis repens var. ophioides, Menyanthes trifoliata , Utri- 
cularia americana , Pedicularis groenlandica, Eriophorum and Car ex 
species. 
On the whole, the flora of the sub-arctic forest is remarkably uniform 
throughout, and hardly a species is found that does not occur in the Arctic 
