Tropical Hardwood Hammock Florida

The tropical hardwood hammock is an ecosystem consisting of broad leafed trees shrubs and vines nearly all of which are native to the west indies with live oak quercus virginiana being the only significant temperate species.

Tropical hardwood hammock florida.

A hardwood hammock is a habitat that is found on higher elevations making it like the pinelands a dry habitat. Tropical hardwood hammocks are closed canopy forests dominated by a diverse assemblage of evergreen and semi deciduous tree and shrub species mostly of west indian origin. Tropical hardwood hammocks were once found as far north as cape canaveral on florida s atlantic coast and tampa bay on the state s gulf coast. A hardwood hammock is a dense stand of broad leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation.

Hammock is a term used in the southeastern united states for stands of trees usually hardwood that form an ecological island in a contrasting ecosystem. Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems. To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. Fort mose was built on a hammock near st.

Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found in south florida or the everglades with large concentrations on the miami rock ridge in the florida keys along the northern shores of florida bay and in the pinecrest region of the big cypress swamp. Historically tropical hardwood hammocks were found as far north as cape canaveral on florida s east coast and up to the mouth of the manatee river on the west coast. If you were to look straight up you might have trouble seeing the sun and sky because of all the trees growing close together.

Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. Hammocks growing on a florida marshland. Habitat loss primarily from development has left only small patches of tropical hardwood hammocks throughout coastal south florida the everglades and the keys. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found nearly throughout the southern half of south florida with large concentrations in miami dade county on the miami rock ridge in miami dade and monroe counties in the florida keys and along the northern shores of florida bay and in the pinecrest region of the big cypress swamp.

In the northern portion of the everglades hammocks are dominated by trees of temperate origin including the live oak quercus virginiana and the hackberry celtis laevigata. In the deeper sloughs and marshes the seasonal flow of water helps give these hammocks a distinct aerial teardrop shape. However development pressure associated with growth of the south florida human population has resulted in the conversion of many of these forests to urban and agricultural uses. Hammocks grow on elevated areas often just a few inches high surrounded by wetlands that are too wet to support them.