Barnaby Bear learns about Bogs and Marshes

Barnaby Bear has come across some wetlands. These areas are very dangerous to walk on, but they are also very interesting. In this habitat, there are lots of rare plants and animals, that can't live in other places.
Barnaby Bear has decided he wants to know more about this kind of area, but he must be very careful. He needs to go with some sensible adults, dress properly and make sure he follows the Country Code. Here where things are rare, he must be extra careful that he doesn't harm any of the plants or animals.

WARNING: Do not go for walks in wetlands, bogs or marshes - they can be very dangerous places.

Welands can be marshes, swamps or bogs, and they are found all over the world. There are bogs in England, Ireland, America, Canada, Russia, Spain, Finland... What these places are called often depends on what kind of plant life lives there.

Danger!

When Barnaby Bear walked in the marsh, in some places, the ground wobbled. This is because the ground in a marsh is just moss floating on top of very wet ground. Underneath the moss, you will find lots of water (up to 98%) and soil, or peat - a special kind of soil. There is more water than soil, so the moss on top will wobble when it is disturbed. This is what makes these areas so dangerous - the ground is often not strong enough to hold a person (or a bear) and could give way. These bogs can be very deep, and very hard to get out of if you fall in.

What are these places like?

Bogs and marshes are often found in low, rural places. They are very wet, and so they are not much good for farming. Different types of wetlands have their own, special kinds of plants - in some you will find lots of trees, and in others you will only find green, non-woody plants. The water in marshes can be fresh or salt water.

You often find slow-flowing rivers and small lakes or pools in these areas.

How did this place become like this?

Most of the bogs and marshes of Cornwall are in low areas. These photographs are of wetlands in the Draynes Valley. This area is quite high above sea level (about 200m), but the marsh is in the dip of a valley.

Most of the water in this marsh comes from the sky, but not directly...
	...because the marsh is at the bottom of a valley, much of the water has run off the hillsides.

Most of the brown-yellow coloured ground you can see in these photographs is marsh or wetlands.

What makes these places special?

Bogs and marshes are special environments that often hide surprises. In places like this, you often find rare plants...

Sphagnum moss and marsh grass are the most common plants here. Marsh grass is tall, round and spiky, with a kind of sponge in the centre. Sphagnum moss is either red or green, and floats on top of the water in the bog. This kind of moss is a sure sign that the ground is getting very wet.

(Clicking on these photos will open a larger picture in a new window.)

...and interesting animals. Many reptiles live in marsh areas, like newts, adders and grass snakes.

Because of the range of plant life that grows here, there are many other rare animals and insects, such as the Marsh Fritillary butterfly. Kingfishers, buzzards, jays and herons also visit frequently.

The different types of plants that grow in each different marsh environment mean that different insects and animals live there. Most different marsh areas have completely different food webs!

How is this place changing?

Much of the marshland is protected, but other areas of it are not. Some of it is dug up for peat.

Peat is a very dark soil, often with fine white lines running through it. The white lines are the remains of sphagnum moss, a marsh plant, that is rotting very slowly. Peat is made from decomposed sphagnum moss. Because of the way it is formed, it burns really well. (Marsh fires are really difficult to put out.) Peat is also very common in garden compost. Marsh areas are often dug for peat for compost. Next time you see compost in the supermarket or garden centre, check and see what it is made from.

Parts of this marsh are drained off. Farmers dig channels to let the water drain away. This makes the ground less wet, so that normal grass can grow, and cattle can use it for grazing on.

Parts of this marsh are burned regularly (at least once a year). Where the land has been burned it dries out and lets normal grass grow. The new grass that grows after burning is much greener, and much more lush than the grass that grows on the hillside. This burning is great for the cattle, and sheep who live here, and for the farmers who own the land. It isn't so good for the other plants, animals and insects that live here though.

How can we help to look after this place?

Now it's over to you - you are the future adults who might be responsible for looking after areas like this. What can you do now, to help protect these habitats?