Wetlands
Northern Bogs
Definition of Wetlands
- Definition: "Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil condition" -The US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (Cragg, Polek, Polasky, pg.126)
- Types of Wetlands: marshes, swamps, bogs, fens (Cragg, Polek, Polasky, pg.126)
- "Wetlands feed downstream waters, trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies, remove pollution, and provide fish and wildlife habitat."
Protecting The Wetlands
- protect wetlands through laws, regulations, and economic incentives and disincentives .
- Clean Water Act, Section 404 - click here for further explanation
Public:
- Public education of the wetlands increases awareness and decreases ignorance.
- Support wetlands protection public agencies and private organizations
- Participate in the Clean Water Act Section 404 program and state regulatory programs by reviewing public notices
- Educate others about the wetlands and their importance
- Select upland rather than wetlands sites for development and building
A fen in South Park, Colorado
McIver, Paul. "A fen in South Park, Colorado." University of California Museum of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
An Alligator in the Florida Everglades
McIver, Paul. "An alligator in the Florida Everglades" University of California Museum of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
A Coastal Salt Marsh in Massachusetts
McIver, Paul. "A Coastal Salt Marsh in Massachusetts" University of California Museum of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
Northern Bogs
Bog
- A bog is a very old lake that becomes acid and is gradually overgrown with sphagnum, or peat, moss.
- Overgrown with vegetation
- One of North America's most distinctive kind of wetlands
Northern Bog
- Northern bogs are generally associated with low temperatures and short growing seasons where ample precipitation and high humidity cause excessive moisture to accumulate
- often form in old glacial lakes
- The sphagnum peats of northern bogs cause especially acidic water
Types of Animals Found in Northern Bogs:
- Moose, deer, and lynx are a few of the animals that can be found in northern bogs
- The Greater Sandhill Crane, the Sora Rail, and the Great Gray Owl depend on bogs for survival.
Dependent On Bogs For Survival:
Sandhill Crane
-very large bird, gray body, congregates in huge numbers
Sora Rail
-small bird, whinny call, difficult to see
Great Gray Owl
-one of the world's largest owls, dark gray, eat small rodents
Plant Species Supported:
- Orchids, the Pitcher Plant, the Sundew, Sphagnum Moss, including Cotton Grass, Cranberry, Blueberry, Pine, Labrador Tea, and Tamarack
Work Cited
Cragg, Michael, Christine Polek, and Stephen Polasky. "Valuing Properties With Wetland Potential." Appraisal Journal 79.2 (2011): 126-42. Print.
Wetlands: Overview. Prod. Green Treks Network. Vimeo. N.p., 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://vimeo.com/>.
Schiller, Eugene, and Shannon Flanagan. "Protecting Wetlands." Public Management 79.10 (1997): n. pag. Print.
"Bogs." Enviromental Protection Agency. United State Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://water.epa.gov>.
"Wetlands Protection." Enviromental Protection Agency. United State Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://water.epa.gov>.
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition
McIver, Paul. "A fen in South Park, Colorado." University of California Museum
of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
McIver, Paul. "An alligator in the Florida Everglades" University of California Museum
of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
McIver, Paul. "A Coastal Salt Marsh in Massachusetts" University of California Museum
of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
McIver, Paul. "A tamarack bog with boardwalk in Minnesota" University of California Museum
of Paleontology. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013