Acer saccharum - The sugar maple is one of several maple species found worldwide. It is a slow growing tree, attaining a height of 40 meters at maturity. The maple is a hardy and tolerant tree, but recent declines in acreage is a direct result of increased acid precipitation and air pollution in the northeastern industrial corridor. Maple syrup is derived from the xylem of the sugar maple tree. Xylem is the vascular tissue of the sugar maple and allows the tree to transport water from the roots to the leaves.
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The first European settlement of Canada occurred in 1000 AD; Norsemen built a small colony at L'Anse aux Meadows. The settlement did not survive and Europeans remained absent from Canada until John Cabot’s exploration of 1497; he claimed his findings for England. Jacques Cartier arrived in 1534 and claimed the area along the Saint Lawrence River for France. This pitted England against France in several wars for control of Canada; England emerged as the victor during the Seven Years’ War.
