The Everglades is home to many unique and special plant and animal life. Tree islands are a big part of the Everglades’ landscape and ecosystem; in fact, they’re hundreds of them. You’ve probably seen them time and time again in photos of the wetland but not realized what they are. So, what is a tree island? A tree island is a naturally formed patch/clump of trees in the march that can resemble an island of trees.
In the Everglades, tree islands are made out of hardwood trees, palms, ferns, and other tropical plants. Tree islands are usually in the shape of a teardrop due to the way the water flowed in the years prior to the drainage of the Everglades. The head of the tree island is where it meets the water. Often times, tree islands can be found in hammocks, which is on land that is a bit higher than the marshes and prairies of the Everglades. Because of their elevation, they are usually the only areas that remain drying during the Everglades’ wet season.
The islands are habitats for many birds, panthers, and other critters, because they offer a dry, safe place for them to stay, rest, and live. Over thousands of years, the water level in the Everglades has risen, so trees began to form on mounds (shell middens) to survive. As the tree grows, it draws water from the bedrock which contains carbonates and phosphates. The trees would then secret the excess minerals out of them, which turned into calcrete that increased the elevation and volume of the islands to protect the island and the trees.
Although it was long believed that these tree islands were formed naturally from the bedrock rising, it is now thought that these tree islands were formed by human middens (trash piles). When archologies and researchers studied the layers within the islands, they found bones, charcoal, and human artifacts. Although not all tree islands are human made, many of them were created by people, like the Calusa tribe, who lived in the Everglades thousands of years ago.
Currently, many of the tree islands are maintained by airboat operators or use as hunting camps by “Gladesmen” in the east section of the park.
Want to see some of these tree islands up close? A great way to view these plant communities is on an airboat. An Everglades airboat tour can bring you around to get a great view of these beautiful and old tree islands, while also viewing lots of other tropical plant life. To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch of Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours today at 800-368-0065 or click here.
