ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY


 NO. 11 UPLAND HARDWOOD HAMMOCKS


OCCURRENCE

The Upland Hardwood Hammock ecological community occurs commonly in north
central Florida and sparingly in north and west Florida. Individual
communities vary in size from a few acres to several hundred. The largest
communities occur near Brooksville, Gainesville, and Ocala. This community is
generally considered to be a climax vegetation of ecological succession in the
Southern Coastal Plains. A climax community is one that perpetuates its kind
in equilibrium with the environment without influence of man.

DESCRIPTIONS

This community occurs on rolling terrain with nearly level to strong slopes.
Moderately moist regimes without excessive water or drought conditions
characterize this community. It can be readily identified by the occurrence
of thick stands of shade tolerant hardwoods and few pines. There is usually
more organic material and litter present than on drier sites.

1. Soils

 The soils are nearly level to strongly sloping, deep, somewhat poorly to
 well drained and coarse-textured throughout or coarse-textured in the
 upper part with moderately coarse-textured to moderately fine-textured
 subsoils. Representative soils included Blichton, Bonneau, Flemington,
 Fort Meade, Gainesville, Hernando, Mabel, Millhopper, Shubuta, Sparr and
 Zuber. Appendix A contains information on correlation of soil series with
 the appropriate ecological community.

2. Vegetation

 This community is considered to be in a climax stage of vegetation when
 only a few pines occur with hardwoods dominating. Under climax
 conditions, understory vegetation may be quite sparse. Plants which
 characterize this community are:

 TREES American beech, Fagus grandifolia; American holly, Ilex opaca;
 Black cherry, Prunus serotina; Eastern hophornbeam, Ostrva
 virginiana; Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida; Hawthorns,
 Crataegus spp.; Laurel oak, Quercus laurifolia; Live oak,
 Quercus virainiana; Pignut hickory, Carva glabra; Southern
 magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora; Sweetgum, Liquidambar
 styraciflua

 SHRUBS American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana; Arrowwood, Viburnum
 dentatum; Sparkleberry, Vaccinium arboreum; Waxmyrtle, Mvrica
 cerifera

 HERBACEOUS PLANTS AND VINES Aster, Aster spp.; Cat greenbriar, Smilax
 glauca; Common greenbriar, Smilax rotunidifolia; Crossvine,
 Bignoniu capreolata; Partridge berry, Mitchella repens;