Tropical Hardwood Hammocks Florida

Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades.

Tropical hardwood hammocks florida.

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. To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. 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. Habitat loss primarily from development has left only small patches of tropical hardwood hammocks throughout coastal south florida the everglades and the keys.

Subject to thin soils and a tropical climate hardwood hammocks form a dense canopy with a tangle of shrubs and vines at the ground level and its outer edges. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. 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. A hardwood hammock is a habitat that is found on higher elevations making it like the pinelands a dry habitat.

Tropical hardwood hammocks occur only in south florida and are characterized by trees and shrubs on the northern edge of a range that extends southward into the caribbean. 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 agricul tural uses. 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. These communities are rare along coastal uplands south of a line from about vero beach on the atlantic coast to sarasota on the gulf coast.

Historically tropical hammocks were found as far north as cape canaveral on the atlantic coast and to the mouth of the manatee river in tampa bay on the gulf coast. In most of the southeast including the florida panhandle the trees in temperate hardwood hammocks are primarily evergreen. 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.