To many people, bogs and wetlands connote wastelands – wet, unusable land areas that serve no purpose to people, plants or animals. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Bogs and other wetlands are actually among the world’s most productive eco-systems and are nature’s own water purification systems.
The intertwining roots, leaves and fibers of the dense plant life remove sediment and pollutants from the slow-moving water that meanders through them.
They also act as nature’s flood-control system, like giant sponges, holding water and then slowly releasing it, preventing excessive flooding and erosion.
And, arguably most importantly, bogs provide food and shelter for many species of plants and animals, some endangered.
In North Carolina alone, more than 70 percent of the species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern depend on wetlands for survival.
Nationally, one in every three threatened or endangered species lives in wetlands.
Bogs are areas of moist, soggy ground, usually containing peat formed by the decay and carbonization of mosses and other vegetation.
They are mostly found in fairly flat terrain, where topography, geology and climate cause water to enter the system faster than it leaves.
The origin of bogs is not known, but some are thought to date back to the last Ice Age.
The soil in most bogs is acidic due to sulfuric acid formed by the oxidation of organic sulfur compounds and from humic acids produced in the water.
Because of this general acidity, bogs support a specialized and unique flora and fauna, many of which are found in no other habitats.
These include wild orchids, carnivorous pitcher plants and Venus’ flytraps, lilies, wild azaleas, cranberries and a variety of shrubs and sedges in addition to bog turtles and other amphibians.
Bogs are classified as wetlands and are protected and regulated under the federal Clean Water Act.
Because of this, a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is required for any activity that would alter the bog or any other wetland.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), North Carolina was once home to about 5,000 acres of bogs.
Today, only about 500 acres remain.
Unfortunately, many landowners have no idea that their properties contain bogs and other wetlands, so they often destroy them without knowing these unique habitats exist there.
Others simply do not understand the importance of all wetlands.
The USFWS recommends some specific measures that can be taken to protect bogs and other wetlands:
Be aware of livestock over-grazing and ground-water pumping.
Be aware of the results of creek and stream diversion and any water-flow patterns, no matter how insignificant it may appear.
Leave some sort of vegetation buffer around bogs to maintain natural water-flow patterns and to decrease siltation.
And one way we can all help: don’t pollute. Water is the lifeblood of a bog ecosystem; waste and pollutants can have a disastrous effect on water quality and the organisms that depend on it.
If you have a wet area on your property that you think might be a bog or temporary wetland, contact a biologist for verification and management assistance.
(In North Carolina, assistance agencies include the USFWS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Asheville, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. Plant Conservation Program in Raleigh and the Nature Conservancy Field Office in Carrboro.)
Not all wet areas are bogs, but a wetland that might seem otherwise insignificant may contain unique and endangered plants and wildlife.
We can all work to understand that wetlands are not wastelands.
Visitors to the N.C. Zoo can daily view the park’s mountain bog in front of the Streamside exhibit in the North America region.
Tom Gillespie lives in Trinity and is a journalist and public affairs specialist at the North Carolina Zoo. For more information on the zoo’s plant and animal collections, special events and education programs, go to their Web site at www.nczoo.org
Tom Gillespie
Zoo Tales – Mountain bogs are unique
- Tom Gillespie
-
-
Zoo Tales: Aviary a respite from winter's grasp
January and February are seldom thought of as a time for leisurely strolls along trails and stops to smell flowers blooming or to watch colorful birds. But at the N.C. Zoo's R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary exhibit, that's what's in store for zoo-goers.
-
Zoo Tales: Sitatunga an odd antelope
Mention the words African antelopes and, most likely, images of animals roaming vast, arid drylands would appear. But visitors to the North Carolina Zoo are often surprised to learn that one of the park's antelope species, the sitatunga, is classified as semi-aquatic.
-
Zoo Tales: Helping hands
Over the years, the mission of the North Carolina Zoo – to encourage understanding of and commitment to the conservation of the world’s wildlife and wild places – has often meant going beyond the park’s walls.
-
Zoo Tales: ‘Good Samaritans’ can unknowingly harm animals
Sometimes, no matter how well-meaning the actions of a “Good Samaritan” are, young, injured and disoriented animals can be harmed simply because the person trying to help the animal does not know the facts and proper procedures.
-
Zoo Tales: Aging animals a concern
Although zoos have always faced the problems of aging animals, today it has become an evolving part of their animal husbandry – learning how to care for older animals and to meet their needs
-
Zoo Tales: Bats often misunderstood mammals
Bats. It’s likely that only snakes are more feared and more misunderstood than these nocturnal mammals.
-
Zoo Tales: Gorillas are treat for Zoo visitors
Though often erroneously called monkeys, gorillas are actually great apes. Gorillas are skilled climbers but spend most of their time on the ground.
-
Zoo Tales: Fringe-eared oryx is zoo’s newest antelope
With a nickname like "spear antelope," one could rightly assume that the oryx, one of the N.C. Zoo's newest animal species, would have slender, elongated horns. But then throw in their subfamily name, Hippotraginae (which literally means "horse-goats"), and one might be left guessing.
-
Zoo Tales: Ocelots a puzzle to many
Often, visitors to the N.C. Zoo who see ocelots for the first time aren't sure what they are exactly. Larger than a domestic cat but smaller than a leopard or jaguar, the ocelot is a wild cat ranging from South and Central America, through Mexico and into the extreme southern parts of Texas, with rare sightings in Southern Arizona.
-
Zoo Tales: Animals beat heat in varying ways
At the N.C. Zoo and at many other zoos and animal facilities, keepers help the animals through a variety of cooling techniques from putting ice into the exhibits for the animals to wallow in to air-conditioned holding areas to ponds within the exhibits.
- More Tom Gillespie Headlines
-
Company Fined Over Fatal Stage Collapse
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
GOP Vows to Reverse Obama Birth Control Policy
13,000 Is Next Dow Milestone, Record in Sight
Santorum Wins Boost Fundraising, Stifle Romney
U.S. Seeks Political Path to Change in Syria
White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
