1906 Limits of Forest Trees – Atlas of Canada, 1st Edition
Before satellite imagery and GIS, Canadian foresters drew tree ranges as lines on paper. This plate from the 1st Edition of the Atlas of Canada traces the northern limits of roughly 40 tree species across the country, with coverage extending south into the northern United States.
The color coding is the whole story. Green lines mark the northern limits of the principal trees of the Southern Forest. Blue lines mark the northern limits, and in a few cases the southern limits, of Northern Forest species. Red lines carry the Cordilleran Forest of the western mountains. The boundary between Northern and Southern Forest was drawn at the northern limit of red and white pine. Rivers, major lakes, and scattered tree labels fill in the geography behind the ranges.
Published by Natural Resources Canada and printed at Map Shop with the following finish options:
- Paper
- Laminated
- Foam core
- Framed in black or walnut molding
A quietly detailed piece for forestry offices, biology departments, and those drawn to early Canadian botany.

