Moss swamp: features and basic characteristics

In the world of swamps occupy huge tracts. About 70% of the percentage is occupied by wetlands in South America. In Russia, this figure is about 37% of the country's area, in Western Siberia - 42% of the total territory.

The origin of the term and its meaning

The swamp is an ecosystem of the earth's surface, which is the surface of the Earth with excessive moisture and accumulation of water. The remains of vegetation accumulate in water, and accumulation of organic substances takes place. The swamp can be considered as a living organism, which grows during the accumulation of peat, increases in size and develops. If the peat formation process ceases, then the place turns into a peat bog. They are formed after the drying of rivers and lakes or by bogging land.

There are several types of marshes: lowland, transitional and upland. The latter type includes a mossy marsh, which will be discussed in the publication.

Appearance and features

The formation of moss bogs has several stages. First, a moss called "kukushkin flax" is formed on meadows and in forests. It has the ability to retain a large amount of liquid, resulting in the formation of peat. Over time, the surface of the peat deposits overgrows, and the area increases. The water balance of the surface layers changes, and the vegetation is renewed: a moisture-proof one appears in the place of dead vegetation. The peat layers increase, and as a result, trees die in wetlands. At the last stage appears sphagnum (Sphagnum) - white moss, after which the marshes were called moss. It absorbs liquid and has a convex shape.

White moss (Sphagnum) grows in water, which is poor in soluble salts. Moss Hypnum grows where the water is flowing and stiff. It also has a moisture capacity, builds up the top, and the lower part of the stem rotates and turns into peat.

Moss swamp occupies huge territories with a depth of up to 4 meters. They can be seen in the tundra of Arkhangelsk province, and in Siberia.

How do moss peat bogs form?

This swamp is formed by peat moss (Spnagnum). It occurs on moist soil with moist air. Marshes are formed in meadow bogs, wet sandy and clay soils, rocks (western coast of Sweden and Norway). These mosses are moisture-loving and do not grow at high temperatures and dry air. They also strongly evaporate moisture. The water in its composition is poor in nitrogen, lime (it can cause the death of moss), phosphoric acid and potassium. Properties of peat bogs: glow and mummification.

Moss swamp has an uneven surface, covered with mounds, which are formed near the old stumps. It is very pleasant after a tiring road to sit down and rest on dry hummocks, because the water is cold enough on a hot day, because peat has a poor thermal conductivity. The great Russian poet N. Nekrasov said that nature in Russia is also "kochi, moss bogs, and stumps".

Known moss bogs

Animals and birds

Most of the inhabitants of the marshes are of small size and are adapted to semi-aquatic habitats. In mossy marshes such animals live:

• Birds that nest on bogs of marshes: plovers, partridges, black grouses, cranes, ducks, herons and chibis, reptiles, meadow mint, yellow wagtail, oatmeal, kestrel, meadow horn, cheglock.
• Animals: raccoon, moose, otter, muskrat and mink.
• Mammals: water rat, curator, vole-housekeeper, common shrew, dark and red voles. The moss hummocks serve as a refuge for them, they feed on the seeds of pine and herbs found, berries.
• Various insects (mosquitoes, flies, mites).
• Reptiles: a viper and a viviparous lizard.
• Amphibians: gray toads and herbal frogs, swamp turtle.

In moss bogs live some animals listed in the Red Book.

Plants

Such mosses grow on moss bogs:

• Berries: cloudberry, cranberries, cranberries (grows on transitional and riding bogs) and blueberries.
• A tall, stubby pine and a dwarf birch.
• In North America and the Danube, cypress marsh grows .
• Rosyanka, sedge, Labrador tea, pemphigus, air.
• Ground cover: sphagnum moss and cotton grass.

Fauna of moss bogs is poor. Trees are scattered in small numbers, so for animals, forage is scarce. Birds and large animals do not have enough shelter.

Mshara - what is it?

Moss peat bogs in the north are called mshara, or masharnik. This is the name of the kochkarnik, which has overgrown with moss. The plant is a stalk, densely planted with leaves. Near the leaves are branches that hang down and fit tightly to the stem. The surface of the stem has thin-walled cells with holes, thereby forming capillaries. Through them, water rises from the soil, and peat mosses fill with water. Over time, the old parts die, turning into peat, and the tops grow up. Such bogs as a result of the influx of water grow in width, height and length. The result is a mossy mass that rises above the level of soil water. Masharniki are rich in the remains of trees, and in them grow also water mosses.

Moss swamp is a unique in its beauty corner of wildlife.