BOG

A term frequently associated with Wetlands. A quagmire filled with decayed moss and other plant and vegetable matter; wet spongy ground, where a heavy body is apt to sink; a small, soggy marsh; a morass. (Ecology) A wet, overwhelmingly vegetative substratum which lacks drainage and where humic and other acids give rise to modifications of plant structure and function. Bogs depend primarily on precipitation for their water source, and are usually acidic and rich in plant residue with a conspicuous mat of living green moss. Only a restricted group of plants, mostly mycorrhizal (fungi, heaths, orchids, and saprophytes), can tolerate bog conditions. Also referred to as Peat Bog. Also see Peatland.