Tropical Hardwood Hammock The Everglades

The everglades handbook book.

Tropical hardwood hammock the everglades. Tropical hardwood hammocks date back thousands of years to when coral reefs were exposed by receding water levels. Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems. A hardwood hammock is a dense stand of broad leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation. Habitat loss primarily from development has left only small patches of tropical hardwood hammocks throughout coastal south florida the everglades and the keys.

These areas are scattered throughout the everglades and the dense vine entangled tropical hardwood hammock looks like a tiny islands dotting the marsh landscape. One can take a bike ride on the 15 mile loop or simply walk the main trail. Doi link for the everglades handbook. A hardwood hammock is a habitat that is found on higher elevations making it like the pinelands a dry habitat.

This is a familiar location for many locals. The strangler fig is a very important tree in a typical hammock but not the only tree. 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. 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.

Bahama strongback bourreria succulenta bay cedar suriana maritima beeftree guapira discolor bitterbush picramnia pentandra blackbead pithecellobium keyense black ironwood krugiodendron ferreum buttonwood conocarpus erectus cape sable thoroughwort chromolaena frustrata. And one of the easiest ones to get to and explore is right in shark valley the northern entrance of everglades national park. Doi link for the everglades handbook. A fig s tree cover type or biome includes cabbage palm slash pine gumbo limbo saw palmetto poisonwood and live oak.

The typical tropical hardwood hammock in the everglades develops only in areas that are protected from fire flood and saltwater. If you were to look straight up you might have trouble seeing the sun and sky because of all the trees growing close together. In the deeper sloughs and marshes the seasonal flow of water helps give these hammocks a distinct aerial teardrop shape. One of the special habitats of the everglades is the tropical hardwood hammock.

Understanding the ecosystem fourth edition. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. Understanding the ecosystem fourth edition. To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest.