Categories
Sphagnum Science
The Biogeography of Peatlands in England
Applying GIS Mapping to Analyze the Biogeographic Characteristics of Peatland Ecosystems Peatlands are globally distributed ecosystems; however, they only occur in specific climates and physical geography around the world. Using GIS mapping, the biogeographic characteristics of blanket bog ecosystem in England were analyzed. These ecosystems are located in regions of high elevation with a climate…
The Sphagnum Microbiome
Sphagnum tissues are comprised of two types of cell: living photosynthetic cells, and dead hyaline cells[7]. As well as making Sphagnum highly efficient at absorbing and storing water, the hyaline cells also act as apartments for microorganisms to live in, sheltered from the harsh acidic conditions of the bog[2]. The Sphagnum microbiome, the community of…
Sphagnum & Nitrogen
Peatlands are characterized as “nutrient poor” ecosystems[6]. This is because the acidic soils tend to be hostile to microbial life that would otherwise break down organic matter, making essential nutrients such as nitrogen available for plants to take up through their roots[7]. Peatlands produce and store huge amounts of biomass though, so the plants in…
Peatland Profiles
Ponkapoag Bog, MA
From the other side of the pond, the bog appears as a dense forest of Atlantic white cedar trees rising seemingly from the water itself. Entering the bog, an alien concept of a forest stretches into the distance. Ponkapoag Bog is a watery world of scaly trees emerging from mats of thick Sphagnum that bulge…
Black Pond, MA
Carved out of the ground by the receding glaciers thousands of years ago, Black Pond is known as a kettle hole. It’s a small body of water and slowly shrinking due to the conquest of the bog. Stepping onto the boardwalk, the forest floor abruptly ends and a muddy, watery world beckons you to its…
Social/Cultural
Refuge in the Swamp
The Fugitive Community in the Great Dismal Swamp The Great Dismal Swamp, an ombrotrophic peatland[1] of cypress and Atlantic white cedar forest, once covered 2,000 square miles of Virginia and North Carolina[2]. Although it still remains one of the largest intact wild areas on the Atlantic coast[1], due to drainage, timber industry and development, today…
Sphagnum & Skin
Human Utilization of the Antiseptic Powers of Sphagnum Mosses Plants of all kinds have been used around the world for innumerable applications since humans have been humans, and Sphagnum mosses are no different. Their biological structure that makes them highly absorptive and the biochemical processes that make them resistant to decay have been harnessed by…
The Mossy Log 