Tropical Hardwood Hammock Florida

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 hammock florida. Fort mose was built on a hammock near st. Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades. 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. The park is home to 84 protected species of plants and animals including wild cotton mahogany mistletoe and the american crocodile.

A hardwood hammock is a dense stand of broad leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation. In the deeper sloughs and marshes the seasonal flow of water helps give these hammocks a distinct aerial teardrop shape. 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. 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.

To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. Hammocks grow on elevated areas often just a few inches high surrounded by wetlands that are too wet to support them. 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. Once slated to become a condominium development this park contains one of the largest tracts of west indian tropical hardwood hammock in the united states.

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 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. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. 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.

Hammocks growing on a florida marshland. Tropical hardwood hammocks are habitat for a few endemic plants and are critical habi. 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. Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems.