Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species [2][3] of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat).

Mar 1, 2025 · Sphagnum moss is not just a simple component of bog ecosystems; it is a keystone species that underpins numerous ecological functions essential for sustaining biodiversity and mitigating climate change impacts.

A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials – often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. [1] It is one of the four main types of wetlands . Other names for bogs include mire , mosses, quagmire, and muskeg ; alkaline mires are called fens .

Mar 7, 2025 · Typical, or sphagnum, bogs are highly acidic, with a pH (index of acidity and alkalinity) of less than 5 (7 being neutral), and are associated with waters containing no more minerals than are contained in rainwater, often the only source of water for a bog.

Bogs are characterized by a continuous carpet of sphagnum moss, a species-poor herbaceous layer, low ericaceous, evergreen shrubs, and widely scattered and stunted conifer trees. The ubiquitous moss layer of bogs is dominated by sphagnum mosses, especially Sphagnum magellanicum , S .

Feb 27, 2025 · Sphagnum moss, often recognized for its vibrant green coloration and soft texture, plays a vital role in various ecosystems, particularly in bogs and gardens. This remarkable plant contributes to biodiversity, water retention, soil health, and more.

peat moss, (genus Sphagnum), genus of more than 300 species of moss (division Bryophyta). The taxonomy of Sphagnum species has been controversial, and various botanists accept quite different numbers of species. Peat mosses form dense clumps around ponds, in swamps and bogs, on moist acidic cliffs, and on lakeshores from tropical to subpolar ...

Jul 16, 1996 · As in the Pacific Estates bogs, alien plants are spreading into the sphagnum mat and stormwater is diluting the acid environment. King County scientists have mapped 42 bogs in unincorporated...

Sphagnum is popularly known as bog moss, peat moss or turf moss because of its ecological importance in the development of peat or bog. The plants are perennial and grow in swamps and moist habitat like rocky slopes where water accumulates or where water drips.

Apr 17, 2023 · The species of Sphagnum are perennial plants and grow in dense masses, forming cushion-like structures in swamps, ponds, and wet rocky slopes. Sphagnum often completely covers the surface of water, transforming it into bogs of peat lands.