Beech–maple forests were the most common Northeast Ohio forest community at the time of European settlement. These upland forests are characterized by a dominance of sugar maple and American beech trees, while tuliptree, New York fern, and Christmas fern are also present.
Beech–maple forests often feature a dense canopy of deciduous trees, a sparse-to-absent shrub layer, and a well-developed ground layer of herbaceous plants.
Wild beech–maple forests in Northeast Ohio and the surrounding region commonly support a diverse array of animal species, including coyotes, raccoons, long-tailed weasels, eastern chipmunks, red-backed salamanders, gray treefrogs, and black rat snakes.
Birds found in local beech–maple communities include barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, wood thrushes, scarlet tanagers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, red-eyed vireos, ovenbirds, hooded warblers, American redstarts, and cerulean warblers.