This region is generally similar in climate and condition to the Eastern forest-boreal transition to its east, except that it is generally somewhat drier (the prevailing winds blow west to east and drier air from the plains comes here first before it picks up moisture over the lakes) and, especially in its southern and central areas, its soil is much thicker and less acidic, which makes for more varied vegetation.

Trees of the woodland include White pine (Pinus strobus) and Red pine (Pinus resinosa) with paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and Quaking aspen, and Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests, Black spruce (Picea mariana), White spruce (Picea glauca), Balsam fir (Abies balsamifera), Tamarack (Larix laricina), Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), Northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis), and hazel (Corylus cornuta).

"Common species of the northern hardwoods include sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), basswood (Tilia americana), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)" and Northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis).

Bird species include ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), bald eagle (Haleaeetus leucocephalus), turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), herring gull (Larus argentatus), and waterfowl.

"[2] After being nearly extirpated from the conterminous United States, gray wolves (Canis lupus) survived in the remote northeastern corner of Minnesota and Ontario.