(Click on the thumbnails below for full views.)

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Spent about 3.5 hours on the refuge today. My main task was to locate the boggy area just north of the “Savanna” off of Sweet Gum Lane. I did not know what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. The topography of this bog is steeper than most of the bogs on the refuge, and as a result, the water was flowing rapidly.

 

The bog is a variant of the Red Maple Acidic Seepage Swamp (CEGL006238) plant community. The striking thing about the bog at this location Chestnut Oak plant community which surrounds it. The bog feeds a creek called Welch’s Creek and we call this wetland Welch’s Bog as a result.

 

 

Some of the plant species seen in this bog include Sweet Bay Magnolia, Black Gum, Cinnamon Fern, Royal Fern, American Holly, Paw Paw, Skunk Cabbage, Netted Chain Fern, New York Fern, Carex folliculata, Vaccinium sp., and Indian Cucumber.

 

 

 

 

The bog continued on down the hill for some distance. However, I did not have time to investigate further. Future forays to this bog will be undertaken.