A Legacy of Living Places: Conserving the Diversity of Nature in the Lake Erie Allegheny Ecoregion

This new publication from the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership (LEAP) describes natural communities that are the building blocks of biological diversity in the Lake Erie Allegheny region. It’s full of beautiful photos — and suggestions for where to go to see some of the best remaining examples of the region’s natural heritage.

Follow the links below to see sections of the publication (all are PDF files; some are large). The publication is also available on the LEAP website.

Challenges for conservation

A region filled with life
Threats to our natural heritage
A new partnership for conservation
How to help protect biodiversity 

Natural communities of the region 

Beech-Maple Forest  
Sugar Maple-Ash-Basswood Northern Rich Mesic Forest  
Mixed Oak Forest  
Black Oak Savannah/Midwest Sand Barren  
Great Lakes Hemlock-Beech Hardwood Forest  
Lake Plain Swamp Forest  
Silver Maple-Elm Floodplain Forest  
Emergent Deep Marsh  
Kettlehole Bog  
Rich Shrub Fen  
Lake Plain Prairie  
Great Lakes Palustrine Sand Plain
River and Stream Aquatic Community  
Lake Erie Open Water Community

The complete publication is available here (PDF, 6.1 MB).