What is an Ecoregion?

An ecoregion is a large area of land and water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities.  Ecoregions are defined primarily by similar landforms, climate, ecological processes, and vegetation, and typically span millions of acres and multiple states.

Ecoregions of New Hampshire

The North Atlantic Coast Ecoregion consists of 12.7 million acres along the northern portion of the Atlantic seaboard. The region is generally flat (elevations reach 600 feet) with scattered morainal features. Major tidal river systems flow through the mainland and feed coastal lagoons, ponds, bays, and estuaries. The region is typified by glacial history, sandy coastal plain soils, coastal natural processes, fire, and a mild humid climate.

The Lower New England-Northern Piedmont Ecoregion spans 23.3 million acres of land and water from Virginia to Maine. In New Hampshire, the landscape has been heavily influenced by glaciation and is characterized by low mountains, numerous lakes and ponds, eskers, and drumlin fields. The ecoregion is 60-70% forested, and includes numerous globally rare species and habitats such as Small-Whorled Pogonia and Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Barrens.

Northern Appalachian-Acadia Ecoregion extends over 31 million acres of primarily forested land, the largest expanse of forest remaining in the eastern United States. The landscape has been shaped by extensive volcanism, mountain building, sedimentation, and four major glaciations. Land cover is dominated by Northern Hardwood and Red Spruce-Balsam Fir forests interspersed with a variety of swamps, marshes, fens, bogs, rock ridges, alpine mountaintops, ice scoured river banks, salt marshes, and rocky coastal cliffs.