Cataract bog
A cataract bog is a rare ecological community formed where a permanent stream flows over a
While a cataract bog is host to plants typical of a bog, it is technically a fen. Bogs get water from the atmosphere, while fens get their water from groundwater seepage.[1]
Cataract bogs inhabit a narrow, linear zone next to the stream and are partly shaded by trees and shrubs in the adjacent plant communities.[2] Algae growing on the rocks can make the surface slippery and dangerous for those exploring a cataract bog.[3]
Typical species
The rushing water carves out small depressions where soil accumulates, forming micro-islands that play host to plants that thrive with low levels of nutrients and shallow root structures. Typical species include
The plant communities are fragile because of their tenuous attachment to thin soil above the rock substrate. During prolonged drought, the stream may dry up and the edges of the micro-islands curl up. Heavy rainfall can then wash away the micro-islands, so a cataract bog is in a continual state of change and renewal.[3]
Location
Cataract bogs are found only in the southern
References
- ^ a b McMillan, Patrick. "Mountain Bogs on the Verge of Vanishing". Expeditions with Patrick McMillan. Archived from the original on 29 July 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ ISBN 1-57003-438-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8078-7172-0.