Along the trail through the Laurentian Maple Forest, the cool air carries the scent of conifers. Around us, the trees and understory plants filter the light into a soft glow. This recreated forest of southern Quebec is home to otters, beavers, raccoons, lynx, and birds.
Shaped by water and light, the Laurentian landscape changes with the seasons. Every element connected to it, no matter how small, helps sustain and transform this environment: water, trees, plants, insects, fungi, animals, and people.
A forest rich in biodiversity
This ecosystem features a forest composition characteristic of the Laurentians, including sugar maples, yellow birches, and American beeches. This mixed forest is home to black-capped chickadees and Baltimore orioles, which shelter among the dense foliage of eastern hemlocks and eastern white pines.
In some places, the soil is loose and rich in organic matter, while in others it is well drained. The slope of the land channels water toward a river. Its fast-flowing current shapes the banks, creating habitat well suited to the North American river otters. As the slope levels out, the water slows and the river gives way to wetlands.
Near the river, shrubs such as the pussy willow take root and help stabilize the banks. On these sunny shores, painted turtles bask while a gray catbird feeds on the berries of the Canadian serviceberry. Here, the marsh borders a pond where the American beaver has built a dam. A true engineer, it reshapes the landscape to create habitats where life can flourish.
In the pond, pumpkinseeds and yellow perches occupy the deeper waters, while at the surface, the red-necked grebe can be seen. Around the edges, a disturbed forest is dominated by pioneer species that thrive in the light created by openings in the canopy. It is a good feeding ground for the white-throated sparrow, which often scratches through the leaf litter in search of invertebrates.
At the end of the trail, the slope closes in around a rocky escarpment, where balsam fir becomes the dominant species in a cooler, shadier environment. This is where the Canada lynx can be seen.
In nature
In the Laurentians, this type of forest stretches across a vast landscape of hills and lakes. Winters are cold, summers are mild, and the seasons set the rhythm of life: snowmelt, the emergence of insects, lush leaf growth, and autumn colours.
The same trees found at the Biodôme form broad mosaics across Laurentian forests. These forests are home to moose, squirrels, and woodland birds, many of them migratory. They also support a remarkable diversity of spring wildflowers and late-summer berries.
A few facts and figures
Summer temperature: 17 to 24 degrees Celsius (April 1 to September 30)
Winter temperature: 4 to 9 degrees Celsius (November 1 to February 28)
Relative humidity: 45% to 80%
Total area: 1,518 square metres
Controlled lighting system: Recreates the daylight cycle observed in southern Quebec.