Tropical Hardwood Hammock Ecosystem

Ecosystem tropical hardwood hammocks are the climax terrestrial plant community in the florida keys.

Tropical hardwood hammock ecosystem.

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. In the deeper sloughs and marshes the seasonal flow of water helps give these hammocks a distinct aerial teardrop shape. Hardwood forests with broad leaved evergreens are called hammocks. For example marshland can quickly transition to tropical hardwood hammocks with a dense canopy thin soil and no water inundation.

The tropical hammock ecosystem is restricted to south florida below the frost line and contains plants and animals that live in no other place in the united states. Occurring on uplands 2 to 8 feet above sea level hammocks are hardwood forests consisting of a wide diversity of evergreen and semi deciduous trees and shrubs many of west indian caribbean islands origin. 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. 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.

Tropical hardwood hammocks can occur within marshes pinelands and mangrove swamps. The soils are well drained and therefore many forests have been converted into housing developments and towns.