Bogs

Bogs belong to the few habitats in the Teverener Heide that have developed largely without human influence. It all started at the end of the last ice age when wet cavities emerged, sealed by clay deposits. They are a favourable habitat for peat moss which colonizes here and thus provides the foundation for the formation of marshland with its unique flora and fauna.

Moorlandschaft Blüten

And it grows

In wet cavities the peat moss grows higher and higher on its own decaying residue which forms a peat layer. On dry humps in between, the cotton grass and bog heather blossom. When the moss has reached the height of the hump it loses its contact to water and dries out. In turn the previous hump now becomes a wet cavity which is again colonized by peat moss. Thus, the bog constantly grows on top of itself.

Bogs such as the transition bog  Wiggelewak, which are influenced by rainwater and groundwater, offer an especially beautiful sight when the flowers are in blossom. In May the cotton grass blooms  and in July/August the heather. But beware, bogs are very fragile areas. Even after decades damage caused by stepping carelessly across cannot heal – therefore please only admire the view from the sidelines.