H4.1 Bog

A bog is defined as a mossy, peat-covered or peat-filled wetland (peatland), that develops on open terrain with restricted drainage (i.e., where the amount of water going in exceeds the amount of water going out). The water supply of a bog comes almost exclusively from precipitation, resulting in a nutrient-poor, acidic environment. As a bog has limited external drainage, the surface is frequently covered with small ponds.

Bogs are the most common form of wetland in the province. There are several types, ranging from extensive blanket bogs in Cape Breton to small, flat deposits found throughout Nova Scotia. Bog plants are extremely interesting, and include several species of Sphagnum moss, Reindeer Moss lichen, orchids and insect-eating plants.

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Additional Keywords:
humification, Sphagnum, Atlantic Plateau Bog, paludification, bulrush, Larch, Spruce, lichens, Crowberry, Bunchberry, Blueberry, Goldthread, Starflower, Schreber's Moss, muck mats, Sundew, Cranberry, heath shrubs, liverwort, chokeberry, Bladderwort, Pitcher Plant, orchids, water midges, rove beetles, mosquito, moths, Bog Copper Butterfly, Elfin, Arctic Jutta Butterfly, Four-toed Salamander, Blanding's Turtle, Yellowthroat, Rusty Blackbirds, Black Ducks, sedges, grasses, Cinerous Shrew, Moose, Muskrat, Black Bear

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