ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY


 NO. 15 OAK HAMMOCKS


OCCURRENCE

The Oak Hammock ecological community occurs through central Florida in
scattered locations, south to the Everglades and west to about Tallahassee.
Typical examples of this community occur in Marion and Sumter Counties.
Although this community is a recognizable feature in the landscape, there is
some feeling that it may not be a separate, available community, but simply a
viable variation of either the upland or wetland hardwood hammock, induced by
man's influence.

DESCRIPTION

This community is readily identified by the dense canopy of predominantly
laurel and live oak trees on nearly level to rolling topography. The
understory is usually sparse.

1. Soils

 Soils are nearly level to gently sloping, deep, and somewhat poorly to
 poorly drained. Some have limestone rock occurring on or near the
 surface. Representative soils include: Adamsville, Lochloosa, Nobleton,
 and Pactolus. Appendix A contain information on correlation of soil
 series with the appropriate ecological community.

2. Vegetation

 Tree species consists of mostly laurel and live oaks associated with other
 oaks and pine. there are few understory plants. Plants that characterize
 this community are:

 TREES Live oak, Quercus virginiana

 SHRUBS American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana; Sawpalmetto,
 Serenoa repens

 GRASSES AND GRASSLIKE PLANTS Yellow indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans;
 Purple nutsedge, Cvperus planifolius and C. rotundus; Longleaf
 uniola, Chasmanthium sessiliflorium; Low panicum, Panicum spp.

 HERBACEOUS PLANTS AND VINES Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans;
 Resurrection fern, Polypodium polypodioides; Spanish moss,
 Tillandsia usneoides; Stiff-leafed wild pine, Tillandsia
 utriculata

 Information about plants which occur in specific ecological communities
 is in Appendix B.