07 The bog as habitat

Biodiversity

The bog as habitat  

Aplace for specialists

As habitats raised bogs are a real challenge. The soils are nutrient-poor, acidic and extremely wet. Only a few plants and animal species are able to survive here. For this reason raised bogs are places for specialists. These include moor frogs, silver studded blues (a species of butterfly), large white faced darters (dragonflies) and wool grass. Even droseraceae (sundews) have found a strategy to live here despite the lack of nutrients. They secrete a sticky substance that attracts insects, and digest them once they have been caught. They are regarded as carnivorous plants.