 Typically the richer the soils, and the more temperate the climate, the more dominant hardwoods will be.This forest type is considered the northern extension of the mixed mesophytic deciduous forest.The four dominant canopy species of the hemlock-northern hardwood forests are sugar maple ("Acer saccharum"), beech ("Fagus grandifolia"), yellow birch ("Betula alleghaniensis") and hemlock ("Tsuga canadensis").