The edge of the hammock is another story though. It consists of a thick barricade of Saw Palmetto , various intertwined shrubs, vines, and Poisonwood . The protection offered by the enclosure of vegetation creates a cool, moist environment for the many species of ferns, mosses and fungus that can be found throughout. Hammocks are found in areas where the ground level is high enough to prevent the seasonal flooding. Soil is fairly shallow and builds up slowly.
Fire is an uncommon occurrence due to the lack of accumulated fuel and the cool, moist environment.
However, when it does occur it is devastating because the this soil layer is what burns. This damages the roots of trees and destroys the available nutrients. There are often rough outcroppings of limestone and sink holes where the under layer of limestone has dissolved and the depression left has filled with water. These and other areas of standing water provide excellent breeding grounds for our friend the mosquito which can be quite the annoying when exploring the hammock. Other animals which are often seen in the hammock by careful observation are tree snails, owls, the southeastern five-lined skink, and various small birds.