BOGS

Peat bogs with floating vegetation mat are found in glaciated forested regions of northern Pennsylvania.   Pennsylvania bogs are characterized by slow circulation of water and low turnover rates.    Sphagnum moss dominates the ground cover, with sundews, pitcher plants and other herbaceous cover occurring.   The bog shrub and trees dominated by ericaceous shrubs, spruce and larch.  If beaver is present, areas of sedges and steeplebush may occur (Brooks et al.  in Majumdar et al.1989).   Sphagnum layer is very important to this community, as it retains nutrients and releases them in conditions where the shallow-rooted trees and shrubs can acquire food.   In northern areas of Pennsylvania, sphagnum peat layer accumulates more than in southern sections.   Peat layers can be found in depressions or on slopes through many parts of Pennsylvania (List and Andrus in Majumdar et al.1989).

 Vegetation can be zoned with water and peat depth.   Beaver can maintain bogs in open state with flooding (Niering in Majumdar et al.1989).   Yellow-bellied flycatcher and northern waterthrush are associated with glaciated bog and swamps of northern Pennsylvania.  Both have declined in abundance.   The yellow-bellied flycatcher is found in boreal swamps with dense shrub cover (Gross pers.  Comm.).   Other species found here include Canada warbler, winter wren and northern saw-whet owl.   Woodcock is also found here at times.   The flycatcher is a species of special concern with loss of peatlands due to mining or for flooding for recreation one cause of their decline.   Mammals also affected by loss of bog habitat include fisher, American martin and lynx (Gross 2001).