Within the forest boundaries are the communes of Braize, Cérilly, Isle-et-Bardais, Le Brethon, Meaulne-Vitray, Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais, Urçay and Valigny.

The forest is located on the southern limit of the Paris Basin, on varied substrates (from the primary to the quaternary eras).

Other dominant species are beech (Fagus sylvatica) (9%) and pedunculate oak (Q. robur) (8%), with hornbeam and Scots pine planted in the poorer soils.

Among these are (pictured below): There are predators such as common buzzard, booted eagle, northern goshawk, hen harrier, etc., and many breeds of bats.

Roman manuring and fertilizing practices created a pocket of increased biodiversity, which has remained self-sustaining over two millennia and can be detected today.

With forethought for the requirements of the French Navy two hundred years hence, the Colbert Forest was planted as an oak grove.

The oaks were interplanted with beeches and larches to encourage their growth for favourable timber for ship's masts: straight, tall, and free of knots.

These are classified as a directed biological reserve; lumber is no longer taken in order to favour biodiversity around deadwood and senescent trees.

The oaks of Tronçais, representing some 80% of timber production, are prized for the barrels coopered for cognac and the great wines of Bordeaux.

This is linked to several elements, found in other national forests of the Loire basin: Amongst the more famous coopers using the oaks of Tronçais is Dominique Laurent,[11] who makes what are widely regarded as some of the world's finest barrels.

Laurent goes into the Tronçais forest to select the trees (typically around 300 years of age) and transports them to the cooperage himself, thus guaranteeing provenance.