Bogs Are Unique Ecosystems, at Essay

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One of the most fascinating features of the Orono and other bogs is the way they are formed over the course of thousands of years. As with many bogs, the Orono was initially created by a melted glacier. The sea encroached upon the glacial waters, creating a "layer of silt and clay" at the bottom ("Bog FAQs"). Gradually the climate grew wetter and wetter, and the area became waterlogged ("Bog FAQs"). The flood plain enabled the growth of wetland plants. When those plants died, their remains would become compressed in the water, which when built up turned into peat. Peat is basically comprised of undecomposed plants. The thicker the peat, the slower the rate of decomposition for the plants within it. Peat is too thick for air or oxygen to penetrate, slowing decomposition and preventing the growth of new vegetation.

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According to the Orono Bog Web site, "thousands of generations of wetland plants have added their remains to a deepening layer of peat -- now as deep as 25 feet in some parts of the bog," ("Bog FAQs"). Thus, the Orono bog is growing before our eyes.

The plants that can thrive in the bog depend on wind and fog for their survival (Class notes p. 2). Nutrients that would normally be acquired by mineral-rich soil are instead obtained ombotrophically -- such as cottongrass (Class notes p. 2). Human beings have long understood how to work with the materials that come from bogs including peat. Peat-smoked malt is what gives Scottish island whiskey its characteristic flavor. Cranberries and blueberries are common bog crops. The bog's infertility is ironic, given the abundance of life within the ecosystem.

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