REPTILES Diamondback rattlesnake


 Information on animals known to occur in specific ecological communities
 is in Appendix C.

LAND USE INTERPRETATIONS

1. Environmental Value as a Natural System

 Normally standing as islands in the landscape-, cabbage palm hammocks have
 high aesthetic values. Fire and water are the major stresses of this
 community. The past removal of fires probably caused a successional move
 to hardwoods and palms. The kind and mixture of hardwoods and palms will
 depend on specific soil conditions such as drainage and closeness to
 calcareous materials.

 The areas are not generally used for woodland, range, or intensive land
 uses due to type and composition of plants. Some areas have been utilized
 for citrus production. However, this community has good wildlife values
 that can be enhanced with good management. Cabbage palm hammocks offer
 resting cover for both migratory and resident wildlife and serve as
 refuges during wet conditions.

2. Rangeland

 This community has low potential for producing forage due to the dense
 canopy of palm trees. It does provide protection during cold, rainy
 weather and shade during hot weather. It is usually severely grazed due
 to the above factors. For sites in excellent condition, the average
 annual production of air dry plant material varies from 2,000 to 4,000
 pounds per acre. The variation depends on plant growth conditions. From
 10 to 30+ acres are usually needed per animal unit depending upon amount
 and type of forage available. There will be little forage available when
 the canopy cover exceeds 60 percent. The relative percentages of annual
 vegetation production by weight is 55 percent grasses and grasslike
 plants, 25 percent trees and shrubs, and 20 percent herbaceous plants.

3. Wildlifeland

 Cabbage palm hammocks are productive communities for many wildlife
 species. They are good habitat for wild hogs, deer, turkey, woodpeckers,
 and owls and poor for quail and dove, but fair for most songbirds and
 squirrels.

4. Woodland

 This community has a moderately high to high potential productivity for
 commercial wood production. There are moderate equipment limitations and
 seedling mortality due to wet soil conditions and plant composition. The
 commercial species suitable for planting are slash pine, loblolly pine,
 sweetgum, and sycamore. Potential annual growth for the first threes is
 1.5, 1.2 and 0.8 cords per acre respectively. Potential productivity is
 18 percent less for soils south of a line from Hernando County to Orange
 County.