Sphagnum and Pitchers and Bogs, Oh MI!

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Ah... the sun was shining, the insects emerging, and the bugs were buzzing—the perfect conditions for an uneventful insect ecology outing to  the Bear Lake Bog of northern Michigan…or so we thought. After a quick trip in our van--during which our professor informed us of the characteristics of the boggy ecosystem we were about to encounter--our class arrived at the bog located few miles south of Mancelona, MI.

 Never had I ventured into a bog before, or if I had previously, I (like many do) had erroneously mistaken it for a  pond. Bogs form in areas of depressed ground, where water runs in but cannot escape. Characteristic of bogs, an extensive mat of sphagnum moss covered the stagnant waters, providing a sort of “floating island” of vegetation for plants and animals to make their homes. Due to the stagnant water and colder conditions, the aquatic environment of a bog is very acidic—contributing to the specific types of species able to thrive in the boggy conditions. There are actually various types of bogs, but Bear Lake Bog could be considered a quaking bog, due to the bouncing nature of the thick vegetation, likened to a watery trampoline, when larger organisms (such as us, clumsy humans) tread upon it.  Overtime, layers of slowing-decaying plant vegetation (consisting of dead sphagnum, pitcher plants, and other bog-growing species) create what is known as peat, which is deposited in layers and contributes to the growing depth of the bog. Bogs like this form over decades and are found primarily in colder climates, appropriately found in places like northern Michigan. (Nat Geo)

Clad with waders and armed with our collection gear of aerial nets and aspirators, we fearlessly plunged into the thick, waist-high leatherleaf jungle. This perennial dwarf, with its rough, leather-like foliage, belongs to the plant family Ericaceae, consisting of the only known species within the genus Chamaedaphne. The hearty plant thrives in colder, more acidic bogs, forming extensive colonies that spread across the sphagnum islands. Interestingly, due to cold temperatures and low decomposition rates, bogs are quite nutrient-poor with little mineralization. However, plants such as the leatherleaf can acquire nutrients from atmospheric sources. Tiny, bell-like white flowers adorned the protruding branches in longs rows—reminiscent of dangling fairy-lights— attracting various types of insects (Bartsch, 1994)


https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chamaedaphne_calyculata


 Though seemingly stagnant and lifeless from afar, as we trekked through the bog, we were quickly engulfed by an ecosystem teeming with activity. Whirligigs swirled freely, making figure-eights in the otherwise motionless water, and even some tadpoles and water striders joined in the fun.  Diverse types of lepidoptera, odonata and diptera species flew freely in the open air—damsel flies and terrestrial mosquitoes appeared to be dominant residents.

The nutrient-poor conditions and numerous insects provide the perfect conditions for another prominent inhabitant of bogs—the carnivorous pitcher plant. These plants need little nitrogen from the soil, as they are able to derive most of the nutrients they require from the insects they “eat.” Though outwardly pleasantly attractive, these plants defy the food web norms and are designed with liquid-filled pitfall trap to catch and dissolve unsuspecting insects. As we siphoned out some of the aquatic environment within a plant, we found various species of tiny flies and even mosquito larvae that are species-specific to the pitcher plants (Britannica). 
https://www.bayjournal.com/article/va_group_buys_land_to_ensure_carnivorous_plant_stays_in_the_picture

On a mission to capture macroinvertebrates for our growing collections, we plunged further into the boggy muck. I grew accustomed to the boot-slurping, sinking consistency of the sphagnum moss mat, but subsequently also less cautious.  As I bounded ahead, attempting to capture a dodging, green darner dragonfly, I suddenly found the sphagnum moss enclosing around me as I plunged through a thinned area of seemingly endless layers of sparse peat. I struggled in futility to pull myself up before my waders filled with the acidic muck, but the bog had the upper-hand, lacking any firm ground or anchored foliage for me to hoist myself out of the miry waters. However, as a steady hand of a grounded friend reached out, I was able to best the bog, saving my waders and meticulously-collected insect jars in the process. Though an informative and exhilarating outing, we were all relieved to finally reach solid ground, safe from Michigan’s sphagnum, and pitchers and bogs.











Works Cited



Bartsch, Ingrid. "Effects of fertilization on growth and nutrient use by Chamaedaphne calyculata in a raised bog." Canadian Journal of Botany 72.3 (1994): 323-329.

Encylopedia Britannica (2015). Bog. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/bog-wetland


National Geographic Society. “Bog.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/bog/


Pipkin, W. (2017). Bay Journal. Retrieved from 

https://www.bayjournal.com/article/va_group_buys_land_to_ensure_carnivorous_plant_stays_in_the_picture









           




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