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Protected Landscape |
What's A Bog?The land protected by SHADOW at present includes Shadow Lake Bog. Shadow Lake is what is known as the “eye” of the bog. A bog is a type of wetland that is dominated by acid-loving mosses. The mosses at the edge of the lake also grow in mats over the water. One of these mosses is called sphagnum. Sphagnum moss releases tannins and acids that leach into the water of the lake and into the groundwater, creating a very acidic environment. The acidity makes the area inhospitable to the decay organisms that break down leaves and wood that falls to the ground in the forest. Instead of rotting away quickly, fallen trees, twigs, and leaves breakdown very slowly over hundreds of years. Meanwhile, more moss grows over the top of them. This carpet of moss eventually hides the old logs, and layers of moss-covered logs pile up over the years, creating interesting rolling landforms called hummocks. As the layers build up, their weight presses down on the older layers, compressing them. These compressed layers form peat, which is familiar to many people as potting mix for houseplants. A bog’s most important function is absorbing water, which prevents flooding, and recharges the groundwater supply. The great depths of moss layers can absorb and hold many times their weight in water. Bogs also conserve carbon. The slowness of decay in a bog reduces the amount of carbon released from the forest as carbon dioxide.
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