Death Valley Ecological Still Life: Hummock in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

While examining the natural landscapes I observed in Death Valley, I learned two ecological terms to describe tree growth formations on small mounds.

For wet areas: a hassock is a firm clump of grass or matted vegetation in marshy or boggy ground.

For dry areas: a hammock (or hummock) is a stand of trees that forms an ecological island in a contrasting ecosystem.