Acadia National Park - Forests of Acadia

A catastrophic fire in 1947 that burned a large portion of the eastern side of Mount Desert Island was the most recent major fire, but there is evidence of previous burns found in trees and soils in much of the park. The 1947 fire facilitated the replacement of conifers with deciduous species such as birch and poplar. Therefore, there are currently large areas of 50-year-old woodlands, as well as other areas that have had a longer time to develop since being disturbed.