Hammock Park

November 20, 2014 at 2:00 PM
63 degrees Fahrenheit; winds less than 15 mph; mostly cloudy with 90% cloud cover
Location:  Hammock Park

View of mostly closed canopy along the path.

     Hammock Park has three forest layers:  shrub, understory, and canopy.  Being a hammock ecosystem, the canopy was mostly closed with the exception of fallen trees creating opening for light to reach the forest floor.  This is the main source of disturbance in this ecosystem.  There were many vine and epiphyte species here, which makes sense because light is a limiting resource.  Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), air potato (Dioscorea bulbiflora), Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides) to name a few.  Hardwood species, such as live oak (Quercus virginiana) and sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) are typical in hammocks, but softwood trees like the cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) can also be present.

Species List:
Plants:  
turk's cap
cabbage palm
live oak
sweet bay
air potato
virginia creeper
resurrection fern
red mangrove
black mangrove
white mangrove
beautyberry
wild coffee
spanish moss
pignut hickory
Citrus sp.
firebrush
shelf fungus
pokeweed
saw palmetto
wiregrass
slash pine
grape vine
Acer sp.
castor
hackberry?
cedar
buttonwood
rosemary sp.
bald cypress

Animals:
anhinga
monk parakeet
eastern grey squirrel