Upland Hardwood Forest Alex Alford

Description Closed canopy (often dense) temperate forest Dominated by hardwood trees (i.e broad leaved deciduous trees, such as oaks and beeches.) * Can be find on either mesic or xeric upland soils.

Definitions Upland- Well drained, dry soil or soil that moist but not saturated except following rain. Hardwood- Broad-leafed deciduous flowering trees Softwood- Pines and other conifers Temperate hardwoods- Hardwoods that grow best in temperate zones

Distribution Continuation of forests from northern states Ranges from the Panhandle to central Florida where it grades into Mesic Hammocks.

Status Covers ten times more of Florida’s land area than they did in pre-settlement era. Threatened by human development; frequently used as refuse dumps for human garbage. They are also threatened by exotic species like feral hogs that root around in the ground damaging soil and vegetation.

Status Because they are found in well drained sites, upland hardwood forests are considered ideal residential sites and have been heavily logged.

Identification Best identified by the abundance and diversity of deciduous hardwoods.

Identification

Differentiated from mesic hammocks by the presence of northern hardwood species Florida Maple, White Oak and White Ash Lack certain softwoods such as Sabal Palmetto and Cabbage Palm.

Common Species. Upland hardwood forests are characterized by certain hardwood species such as …

Common Species Oaks: Laurel Oak (Quercus hemisphaerica) Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) Swamp Chestnut Oak(Quercus michauxii) Ashes and hickories: White Ash (Fraxinus americana) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pines: Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Others: Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Florida Maple (Acer rubrum) and Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

Laurel Oak

Loblolly Pine

Southern Magnolia

Common Species Most of the productivity in a hardwood forest is found in the canopy. Therefore most the animals that live there must be able to climb or fly. Eastern gray squirrels outcompete fox squirrels in this habitat for the reasons mentioned above and are very prevalent in this habitat.

Common Species The apex birds of prey that dominant these forests have to be smaller than their pine forest dwelling counterparts due to closer spacing of trees found in the hardwood forest.

Common Species

Other common animals include: The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) The Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargentus) The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Chuck-will’s- widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) Eastern Phoebe ( Savornis phoebe) Red eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus). The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor) White tailed deer ( Odocoeilus virginianus) and the nine banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Common Species

Obligate Species There are many species that are found only in hardwood forests. The Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), the four toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum), the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) all reach their southern limits at the upland hardwood forests of north Florida.

Obligate Species Over fifty species of rare plants occur in upland hardwood forest throughout its range such as : heartleaf (Hexastylis arifolia), trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum), trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens), and the endemic Marianna columbine (Aquilegia canadensis var. australis).

Obligate Species

Several birds species will nest only in Upland Hardwood hammocks, these include: the Acadian flycatcher, the Barred owl, the Blue- gray gnatcatcher, the Cooper’s hawk, the Louisana Waterthrush and the Yellow-billed cuckoo.

Endangered Species Upland hardwood forests are also home to some of Florida’s endangered and protected species such as the Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi) and the Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais couperi).

Management Because of their unnatural state (there’s more of it than there was before settlers arrived) it is not a major target for restoration. Most management of upland hardwood forests occours in the form of larger scale landscape level mangagement efforts.

Management Fire is a major tool used in the management of upland hardwood forests. Fire is used to suppress the succession of upland hardwood forests in areas where pine forests, scrubs or grasslands are more desired

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