What is a bog?
Q: What is a bog?
A: A bog is a wetland where peat builds up.
Q: What is peat?
A: Peat is layers of dead plant material, often mosses, particularly Sphagnum moss.
Q: What are other names for bogs?
A: Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire and muskeg.
Q: Why do bogs form a carbon sink?
A: The gradual buildup of decayed plant material in a bog forms a carbon sink.
Q: Why are bogs low in nutrients?
A: Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic and low in nutrients.
Q: What gives the water flowing out of bogs a brown color?
A: The water flowing out of bogs has a characteristic brown color, which comes from dissolved peat tannins.
Q: Why are bogs important for biodiversity?
A: Bogs have a distinctive group of plant and animal species, and are of high importance for biodiversity, particularly in landscapes that are otherwise settled and farmed.
