Triangle Lake and Kent Bog: Places Out of Time

On a dreary overcast morning of Thursday September 19^th, the John Carroll Plant Ecology class ventured just south of Kent Ohio to investigate two bogs. Though the landscape surrounding these bogs was teeming with vegetation, a trip here 10,000 years ago would reveal a landscape blanketed by glaciers nearly a mile thick. As these glaciers began to melt and recede, large blocks of ice remained forming deep depressions in the earth, which eventually filled with meltwater. These lakes were of interest to us because they exhibit the rare characteristic of being highly acidic (pH of 4.5) and low in nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorous, crucial for plant growth).

Triangle Lake

From the previous day’s lecture, we all knew that bogs tend to be nutrient-deficient for a few reasons. First, there is little inflow or outflow from bogs as new water enters the system only in the form of precipitation. This lack of flow reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, making it an unsuitable environment for decomposers. Their absence leads to a buildup of dead organic matter, causing the water to be acidic. Acidic water cannot hold nutrients at levels needed for normal plant growth.

The contrast between the bog vegetation and surrounding trees was clear

As soon as we set foot on the boardwalk of Triangle Lake, we noticed how unique the environment truly was. There was stillness in the air and the foliage was yellow-green with hints of red. The ground was carpeted with soft, spongy, sphagnum moss ( sphagnum sp.), which varied in color from blue-green to pink. As demonstrated by Dr. Drenovsky, the moss possesses considerable water holding capacity as it released a large puddle when she wrung it. The moss is also a large source of the bog's acidity, as it releases lots of organic acid into the environment.

An abundance of sphagnum moss covering the ground

The next specimen we observed, the Pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), was by far our favorite. This plant, which commonly dwells in National Geographic documentaries, is also found in stagnant water-logged environments. Because the environment is nutrient-poor, this plant has become carnivorous to satisfy its nitrogenous needs, using its red and green flower-like appearance to lure unsuspecting insects near enough to its pitcher in hopes they fall within, where they are slowly digested.

A cluster of pitcher plants

Adding to the list of amazing plants, we also saw an abundance of bladderwort, an endangered species in Ohio. Bladderwort looks like an innocent lake weed, but it's actually another carnivorous plant. It floats its bladders (pictured below) in the water to catch unsuspecting Daphnia (a microscopic organism) and nematodes (flat worms).

Bladderwort. The bladders are the little bulbs hanging off the strand

A characteristic shared by many bog organisms is their toughness and ability to conserve resources. The leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) and the Virginia Chain fern (Woodwardia virginica) both possess leathery leaves whose thick cuticle, or waxy covering, reduces water loss. There are also species of blueberries and cranberries that grow in bogs, although these are the varieties that typically make blueberry cobbler.

A bog cranberry

The tallest plant we saw was one rarely found outside of Canada, as it normally grows in colder, harsher climates. It is a coniferous deciduous tree called the Tamarack. It is coniferous because it produces pine cones, but it is deciduous because it sheds its needles in the fall. The Tamarack trees are more graceful than their pine cousins, and their needles are soft. They can be seen framing Triangle Lake in the photo at the top of the page, and single Tamarack can be seen below.

A Tamarack

We stopped last at Kent Bog, located only about six miles from Triangle Lake. Kent Bog was formed through the same process as Triangle Lake, and in many ways represents the future of Triangle Lake. Because bogs have very little inflow of water, over time the vegetation creeps over the lake, eventually covering it completely. The habitat slowly becomes more suitable for non-bog vegetation, and eventually the bog environment disappears entirely. Indeed, Kent Bog had much less unique vegetation than Triangle Lake, although it had many plants in common, such as sphagnum moss and Tamarack trees. We observed many more "common" plants at Kent Bog, such as the Gray Birch pictured below. We also saw more animals at Kent Bog, such as frogs and a praying mantis.

Gray Birch at Kent Bog

Wild blueberries at Kent Bog

Triangle Lake and Kent Bog are unique but impermanent habitats. Not only are they the imprints of long-dead glaciers, they are home to rare and ancient plants, more often found in far away places. These reserves should be treasured as they are the crown jewels of the Ohio wilderness.

Until next time!

2013 Plant Ecology class at Triangle Lake

To read more or visit the locations, please follow these links:

Triangle Lake

Kent Bog