Andrews Wildlife Management Area

Andrews contains one of Florida’s largest remaining unaltered contiguous upland hardwood hammock forests, representing xeric and mesic vegetative communities in close proximity. Of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 acres of upland hardwood forest that once existed along the lower Suwannee, the last remaining tract is located within AWMA. Impressively, the old-growth upland hardwood forest at Andrews shows little evidence of human disturbance.

Of the total 3,582 acres, 2,329 are upland hardwood forest, 541 acres are upland mixed woodland, and 37.6 acres are restoration upland mixed woodland. The forest canopy is dominated by sand laurel oak and pignut hickory, with abundant magnolia and sweetgum. The subcanopy includes young trees of these species, along with red bay, American holly, and eastern hophornbeam. The shrub layer features sparkleberry, horse-sugar, red bay, and occasional saw palmetto.