Laurentian Mountains

The namesake of the mountains is derived from the term "Laurentide" or "Laurentian", which is itself derived from the St. Lawrence River. François-Xavier Garneau, author of Histoire de Canada, was first to use the term "Laurentien" when he coined the name of the mountains in 1845. Early geologists adopted the name for the complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks in this area, with the terms further being applied to the Laurentide Ice Sheet and the Laurentian Shield (Canadian Shield). Garneau applied the new term to the whole range north of the St. Lawrence River. While the region has been popularly referred to as the Laurentians and Les Laurentides, it was officially adopted in 1987 as the territory was defined. ==Geography==

The Laurentian Mountains extend from Quebec to Labrador over a distance of 1,448 kilometers (900 miles). They are partially bounded by the Ottawa, St. Lawrence, and Saguenay River. The Laurentian Mountains reside in the Laurentian Upland, which extends as far west as Lake Huron, Sub-ranges in the upland are the Opeongo Hills, Misquah Hills, Huron Mountains, and the Porcupine Mountains. This region is extensively forested and contains nearly untouched wilderness, with it not being suited for agriculture. The Adirondack Mountains, which are located in northeastern New York, have great similarity to the Laurentian Mountains, consisting of the same type of rocks that are part of the Canadian Shield. ==Geology==

, Quebec, Canada The Laurentian Mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, being of Precambrian age, with some regions dating to over one billion years old. The mountain range is between other related geologic features, such as the Monteregian Hills and the older Oka Hills. The mountain range is located within the Grenville orogeny. The rocks of the Laurentian Mountains contain deformation and metamorphic structures that show long periods of tectonic activity occurred. The Grenville Province is a subdivision of the Canadian Shield, and in this area, the oldest rocks of this geologic region are found. These rocks represent a chain of mountains that formed between 1,500 and 900 million years ago. During that time, Laurentia, the geologic core of the Canadian Shield, collided with other continents that were dragged by moving tectonic plates. ==Ecology==

at Jacques-Cartier National Park The Laurentian Mountains contain dense boreal forests. It is home to some deciduous trees, such as sugar maple, beech, but are rarely found past the northern boundary of the range. The Laurentian region is also rich in walnut, ash, cherry, linden, and oak. Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, which is located in the range, contains mammals such as black bears, bobcats, raccoons, grey wolves, otters, moose, white-tailed deer and caribou, with birds such as the barred owl, American kestrel, and osprey. ==Economy==

in 2015 Tourism The Laurentian Mountains are a popular recreational destination in Quebec. Forestry The Laurentian Mountains have been historically used for logging. During the European colonization of North America, colonists were met with a woodland that stretched from the East Coast to the Great Lakes. The forests reached heights of 30 to 85 meters high. While the exports of logging grew, it eventually became a wasteful practice, with the felling of trees leaving huge portions of land vulnerable to erosion. Intensive forestry has not entirely ceased in the region. Public and private forests in Quebec have now been entirely mapped, with information such as the soil, terrain, and waterways, and the species and the age of the trees available. With this data, the chief forester calculates the amount of wood that can be harvested, ensuring the forest is not cut down faster than it can grow back. ==See also==