How Do Bogs Form?
What Is a Bog? While the word “bog” conjures up images of Irish and Scottish highlands or quaking tar pits for most of us, the truth is that bogs are quite common around the world. Literally defined, a bog is a nutrient-poor, acidic wetland. Most bogs are rich in sphagnum moss, wildflowers, heath plants, insects and plants that prey on insects. How Bogs Form Bogs form when thick mats of vegetation like sphagnum moss and sedges decay in a waterlogged environment. You’re especially likely to find bogs around the edges of lakes or ponds that are slowly filling in with sediment. Over time the decaying, waterlogged plants form a fibrous layer known as peat. New plants take hold in the peat, holding it together with their root systems, then die, decay, and become part of the peat layer themselves. Low Biodiversity The dense, fibrous peat that makes up a bog stifles the flow of water. Nutrients needed for plant growth, such as nitrogen, are in short supply. As vegetation decays, it releases o
