March

North and Central America, Formationclasses of the vegetation of the world, according to Dansereau

Organization
University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM)

Author
Daniel Garneau

ESRI Software
ArcGIS Desktop

Data Sources
Multiple sources.

Description
The map of the formation-classes of North America shows the distribution of the various structural types of vegetation at the climatic level. Thus, under the influence of a particular climate, the vegetation, regardless of its flora, will develop, at its climax level, a characteristic structure which is reflected by its height and density, that is the percentage of coverage over the ground of the woods and herbaceous mass. The cartographic delimitation of formation-class brings together in a single unit all of the climax-areas of similar structure, whether the climaxassociations still be present in the field or be capable of reinvading without the intervention of man.

Acknowledgements
André Parent et Bertrand Touchette, Department of Geography, UQAM