Tropical Hardwood Hammock The Everglades
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 hammock the everglades. 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. Doi link for the everglades handbook. The everglades handbook book. 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. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades. The strangler fig is a very important tree in a typical hammock but not the only tree.
The typical tropical hardwood hammock in the everglades develops only in areas that are protected from fire flood and saltwater. Tropical hardwood hammocks. 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 everglades handbook book. One of the special habitats of the everglades is the tropical hardwood hammock. Understanding the ecosystem fourth edition. These areas are scattered throughout the everglades and the dense vine entangled tropical hardwood hammock looks like a tiny islands dotting the marsh landscape.
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. To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. Understanding the ecosystem fourth edition. Tropical hardwood hammocks date back thousands of years to when coral reefs were exposed by receding water levels.
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. One can take a bike ride on the 15 mile loop or simply walk the main trail. A fig s tree cover type or biome includes cabbage palm slash pine gumbo limbo saw palmetto poisonwood and live oak. Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems.