species of trees within it are the golden birch, balsam fir, white spruce, red spruce and the cedar, as well as rarer quaking aspens, paper birches, balsam poplars and mountain maple. However, a more profound analysis of the composition of the forests of Bas-Saint-Laurent allows to shed light on which trees grow at which elevations, type of soils and latitudes. Miroslav Grandtner categorized the south west end of the region, the littoral stripe before Rivère-du-Loup and the medium plateau in the golden birch forest, the high plateau as part of the paper birch forest, and finally, the Chic-Choc Mountains as part of the white spruce forest. Fauna The fauna of Bas-Saint-Laurent is similar to the one found in other parts of Quebec and has a relatively poor diversity in species. The glacial episodes of the Pleistocene drove away the animals of the ice-covered area and these came back gradually as the ice sheet melted over the last 18,000 years. The melting of the ice sheet and the flood of the sea of Goldthwait around the current estuary brought molluscs like true mussels, soft-shell clams and scallops. belugas and other whales visit it. According to the remains of marine mammals found in altitude further inland, narvals, walruses and earless seals were also present in the region. On land, the eider appears around 18,000 BP and a mastodon closely related to the mammoth inhabited the area before disappearing 8000 years ago. Today, the region is dominated by the big game moose, white-tailed deer and black bear. The small game is composed of the ruffed grouse, the spruce grouse and snowshoe hare. The muskrat, North American beaver and red fox are also usual sights in the forests of Bas-Saint-Laurent. Many species of birds live along the estuary of Saint Lawrence. The Canada goose, snow goose and brant do a halt in the tidal marshes located along the litoral between La Pocatière and Pointe-au-Père. Diverse types of duck are present, like the American black duck, Northern pintail, two types of surface duck. Diving ducks are represented by the common goldeneye and ring-necked duck, while sea ducks are represented by the common eider and long-tailed duck. Environmental protection Bas-Saint-Laurent has only one wetland area according to the Ramsar Convention, the Baie de l'Isle-Verte, part of it is protected by the national wildlife reserve of baie de L'Isle-Verte. This swamp is primarily occupied by cordgrasses and