Bear Lake Bog Blog

By Anonymous -

Bogs have always seemed like a place removed from reality, kind of like how quicksand exists, but you never run into it as much as you believed you would as a kid. That being said, when we were told we were going to be going to a bog as a field trip, I was over the moon.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “what even is a bog?” which is a totally valid question. Typically occurring in the northeast region of the United States, a bog is characterized by the peat moss it hosts, which, as it decomposes, makes the water acidic and nutrient-poor. This makes the perfect environment for a variety of exciting fauna and flora, most notably cranberries and carnivorous plants.

Just off the road, a short ten-minute drive from campus is Bear Lake Bog.
Dr. Hoekman lecturing about the bog. Photo credit: Anna Lowry

It was a beautiful muggy, overcast day when we arrived. The rain came gently and intermittently, which kept the flying insects at bay. However, this allowed us to truly appreciate the bog beyond our typically narrow insect-centric focus. 


We donned our waders and made the short (and steep) journey to the mat of sphagnum moss we were to be observing. This is quite a springy medium, and it was rather strange to walk on at first. One of my classmates, Emma, said that she was almost feeling motion sick from the movement of the mat with every step we took. This was a cacophony of squelching, sucking steps as we forged our single-file path through the leatherleaf. Honestly, it’s crazy to think that we were suspended above the lake– one step off, and we would have been in over our heads. You better watch your step, though, as beavers and other animals may create holes in the mat that may be well hidden by the vegetation. You can actually create waves by bouncing on the edge of the mat, as demonstrated by Dr. Hoekman.


Dr. Hoekman demonstrating the springiness of the sphagnum. Photo credit: Anna Lowry
The mat is stabilized by the leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) that dominates the surface. The bog’s shrub was also characterized by bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia) and bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia). Other notable vegetation was the bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata), black spruce (Picea mariana), and Tamarack (Larix laricina).

Left: bog laurel; top right: leatherleaf; bottom right: bog rosemary. Photo credit: Anna Lowry 

Little islands of sphagnum form, which are ideal for nesting birds. Eventually, the main mat will grow to meet the islands as the lake slowly fills in with debris. 


A sphagnum island at Bear Lake bog. Photo credit: Anna Lowry

This was an especially special field trip, as Dr. Hoekman had spent extensive time studying the very pitcher plants he was showing us. Purple pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea) are widespread in North America, primarily in sphagnum bogs like the one we visited. There are specialized mosquitoes (Wyeomyia smithii), midges (Metriocnemus knabi), and flesh flies (various sp.) that rely upon the pitchers. 

Left: a purple pitcher plant's roots, pulled up by browsing deer; right: a large purple pitcher plant in various stages of life. Photo credit: Anna Lowry

The purple pitcher plant is characterized by its modified leaves, like pitchers, that fill with rainwater. Passing insects may fall in and drown in the water, leaving them to decompose. The pitcher plant offers little in the way of digestive enzymes, leaving the insects to decompose slowly with the aid of the protozoan community within the water. The nutrients from the decomposing insects leach into the water, which the plant absorbs, allowing it to thrive in the nutrient poor environment it calls home. These pitcher plants are perennial and can live for decades. Primary herbivory comes from deer browsing on the vegetation indiscriminately, and specialized moths (Exyra sp.). The caterpillars of these moths eat a hole into the bottom of the pitcher to drain the water, rendering it harmless and then eat the rest of the plant.


Another carnivorous plant that called Bear Lake Bog home is the English sundew (Drosera anglica), which is listed as a “special concern” by the state of Michigan, meaning that it is rare or uncertain, but not legally protected. It was such a treat to see these diminutive plants. 


English sundew in the sphagnum; photo credit: Anna Lowry

It was a privilege to go on this field trip and learn so much about these wonderful bog ecosystems, especially from someone who spent time studying the pitcher plants within it. This was an excellent first foray, and the beginning of (I hope) many more like it.


Hyperlinks in order:

https://goo.gl/maps/UPboEEpD2e3FEpVb9

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/wetland2.htm

https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/sarracenia_purpurae.shtml

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/kalmia/polifolia/

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/andromeda/polifolia/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/wyeomyia-smithii

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267525030_Metriocnemus_knabi_provides_guardianship_resulting_in_an_exclusive_habitat_for_Wyeomyia_smithii_within_the_pitchers_of_Sarracenia_purpurea

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/99/2/218/2759191

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/menyanthes/trifoliata/

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/picea/mariana/

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/larix/laricina/

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/drosera/anglica/

https://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2021/6/21/pitcher-plant-moths-and-their-pitcher-plant-homes

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