Your Link to Muskoka's Water!

Bogs 

Bogs:

• Are more common in Northern Ontario.
• Are peat-covered wetlands.
• Contain vegetation that has a general lack of nutrients due to the high water table.
• Contain surface water that is strongly acidic because of the decay of plant material due to poor drainage.
• May support trees but are dominated by peat/Sphagnum moss.
• Are the least productive of all wetland types.

Bogs have no flow-through of water and are the most likely to have a peat covered mat.

Bogs occur in poorly drained freshwater regions. They are usually found in the boreal forest and tundra regions located more in the north.

Bogs Characteristics

Water in bogs contain very little or no dissolved oxygen. It is very stagnant and acidic with no flow through. The water is usually a reddish-brown color.

Vegetation in a Bog

Bogs are the least productive wetland type. There are few nutrients available for new plant growth because plant and animal matter does not fully decompose. Some dominant species are Sphagnum moss, Black spruce and tamarack as they can tolerate such rough conditions.

Peat is partially decomposed moss and plant material. Peat can be mined from bogs and used in gardens as a fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Some very interesting carnivorous plants live in bogs, including Pitcher plants, Venus fly traps, and sundews.

Wildlife Inhabitants in a Bog

There are many species found in a bog, both common and rare. Raccoons, Striped skunks and woodchucks are found on slopes, while Eastern chipmunks, Short-tailed shrews and Grey squirrels are found in low, damp woods. 

Among the shrubs on the floating bog live Eastern cottontails and in the moss, though seldom seen, are Masked and Smoky shrews. Muskrats are also found in bogs.

American toads also live among the shrubs on the sphagnum mat.

The following butterflies, moths and other insects are found in bogs because of the acidic bog plants:

• Pitcher-plant moth

  A bog is ideal for turtles and frogs, especially:
  Painted turtles Snapping turtles Blanding's turtles Spotted turtles	Green frog Leopard frog Wood frog Chorus frog Gray tree frog Spring peeper

• Bog copper butterfly
• Bog elfin
• Bog crickets
• Mosquitoes
• Black flies

Marshes 

Marshes:

• Are the most productive type of wetland.
• Are very rich in nutrients.
• Contain emergent vegetation including cattails, rushes, reeds and sedges.
• Are periodically or permanently covered by standing or slowly moving water.

Marshes are the most common type of wetland in North America. They are common along the edges of rivers, lakes, ponds, and the sea. Marshes can also be found in other low-lying areas.

Marsh Characteristics

The water table is low in a marsh. It usually remains wet throughout the year, but not stagnant.

Vegetation in a Marsh

Due to a high rate of photosynthesis and plant growth, marshes are among the most ecologically productive areas in the world. Emergent plants are more common in marshes than trees. Emergent plants are plants that have their leaves/flowers above the water and their roots below.

These include:

• Cattails
• Bulrushes
• Arrowhead
• Reeds
• Pickeralweed
• Grasses
• Rushes
• Sedges

Wildlife Inhabitants in a Marsh

A large number of wildlife species use marsh areas for some part of their life cycle, depending on the needs of the species and the location of the marsh.

Marshes are great nurseries for:

• fish
• ducks
• frogs
• insects

Many migratory birds also use these areas for shelter and food during migration.

Swamps 

Swamps:

• Are composed of coniferous or deciduous forest or tall thickets.
• May be flooded for long periods of time or just seasonally.
• Are productive and nutrient-rich.

Swamps are most common in temperate areas of Canada.

Swamp Characteristics

A swamp has open surface water. They are associated with rivers, lakes and waterways. They are not as wet as marshes or fens, however they still hold a significant amount of water during dry seasons. Swamps are nutrient-rich and productive.

Vegetation in a Swamp

Swamps often have open surface water, and so trees and large shrubs need to be tolerant of these conditions. The soils are constantly wet and it is the aerated (or partly aerated) soils above the water that is available for root growth.

Coniferous or deciduous forest or tall thickets are common types of swamps found in Muskoka.

Trees common in northern swamps include:

• Red & Silver maple
• Alder
• Cedar
• Hemlock
• Dogwood
• Willow

Wildlife Inhabitants in a Swamp

Swamps are very productive habitats and home to a wide variety of species.

Snakes are at home in a swamp because of their amazing ability to swim. Dead and fallen trees found in swamps provide habitat for an abundance of wildlife. Woodpeckers look for insects in the rotting wood and make their new home in a soft tree trunk, while ducks and Great blue herons build their nest around the trees.

Protecting Wetlands 

Protecting our wetlands is a vital part of planning for our future. They impact local ecosystems and watersheds, provide crucial habitat, and even affect our climate.

Wetlands are evaluated for significant characteristics with up to 50 characteristics considered. If a wetland scores enough points, that area is considered to be provincially significant and has a higher level of protection under provincial policy.

Broad Wetland Management Initiatives

The federal government is contemplating wetland loss as an indicator of environmental health. The provincial government has taken action to identify and protect wetlands through the Provincial Policy Statement.

Protecting wetlands will help sustain a superior level of environmental health.

Regions/municipalities are also beginning to identify, maintain and protect these areas within their communities.

Muskoka Wetland Management Initiatives

In Muskoka, both the District and local Area Municipalities have adopted land use policy that recognizes the value of wetlands and protects them.

Official Plan policy in Muskoka states that all wetlands are important and should be preserved. Limited development may be permitted within wetlands provided that wetland values can be protected.

Policies Relating to Wetlands

Provincially Significant Wetlands

Provincially Significant Wetlands are wetlands that, in the opinion of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry:

• Contain habitats of critical importance to fish or wildlife.
• Have a significant hydrologic role in the watershed in which they exist.
• Provide significant social or economic benefits.
• Have unique or provincially significant features.

Development is not permitted in Provincially Significant Wetlands.

Ducks Unlimited Canada

According to Ducks Unlimited Canada, "research shows that up to 70 per cent of Canada's original wetlands in some areas have disappeared as a result of urban development, drainage and land conversion to agriculture."

Ducks Unlimited Canada is dedicated to conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people and are essential for maintaining watershed health.

Ducks Unlimited Canada was formed more than 60 years ago by sportsmen who recognized that conserving wetlands helps to ensure the future of waterfowl populations.

Today, Ducks Unlimited Canada is strongly supported by both hunters and non-hunters who recognize the many benefits associated with their habitat conservation program.