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Nature
Trails run through Sycamore Island past groves
of sugar maple and other hardwoods that
create the rare forested island habitat.
From Three Rivers Second Nature: “Sycamore Island is mostly composed of Silver Maple Floodplain Forest. . . Hardwood floodplain forests are among the most rare plant community types globally. The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) considers all floodplain forest to be imperiled in the state of Pennsylvania. . . Large intact stretches should be conserved for this reason.”
Allegheny County Natural Heritage Inventory includes Sycamore Island as part of the “Allegheny River BDA (Biological Diversity Area) Natural Heritage Area” which has a ranking of “High Significance.” One of its most unique characteristics is that the 14-acre island is actually growing in size due to its location on the inside of a river bend where silt and sediment is deposited by high water.