A Strand is a
type of habitat in Florida that forms a linear forest that is longer than it is
wide. There are Coastal Strands and Cypress Strands.
A Coastal Strand
occurs between open beach and maritime hammock habitats. They appear on deep,
well-drained, sandy soils. They
generally occur in long, narrow bands along high-energy shorelines, parallel to
the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico. Vegetation in this habitat
is strongly affected by wind and wave action.
A Cypress Strand
forms in a minimal drainage channel on flat-lands. A forested wetland ecological
habitat, Cypress Strands occur on land areas with high water tables where the
lack of slope prevents true stream formation. Cypress strands are common in
south and southwest Florida and form
where there is just enough water and flow to cut a slight depression or
slough channel. This flow is seldom observed. The term cypress head refers to
the cypress swamp at the head of a cypress strand. Cypress Strands, when
observed from above, lie parallel to the direction of the surface water flow.
A Hammock is a
fertile area in Florida that is usually higher than its surroundings and that
is characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus-rich soil. The word
origin is thought to be a French understanding of the Seminole Indian word for
“Shady Place”.
