Our studies are conducted within a core study area of over 15,000 hectares, located roughly between the towns of Sydenham and Westport, Ontario. This area, in the northern section of the Frontenac Arch, is at the heart of the transition from the Mixedwood Plains to the Boreal Shield. The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) notes that this transition has the “highest average forest cover of any part of ON BCR 13”, a region comprising most of Southern Ontario. The proposed study area includes Frontenac Provincial Park at its centre, a designated threshold-wilderness park of over 5000 hectares. Though the majority of the study area is owned privately, the area does include several crown land parcels and some other protected land holdings in addition to Frontenac Provincial Park.
Habitats in the region are highly varied mosaics consisting of deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests, many types and sizes of wetlands, followed by lesser quantities of successional shrubland and low-intensity agricultural habitats. The undulating terrain of valleys and ridges supports alternating wet/dry and acidic/calcareous conditions respectively. Data on average age of forest stands is not yet available, however forests of 70+ years are not uncommon while some greater than 100 years can be found.