Table of Contents
What can we do to save peat bogs?
The good news. The good news is that if we block drainage canals, peatlands can be partly restored by preventing water levels from declining further. Planting native plants in degraded areas can also help by retaining water.
Why should we preserve peat bogs?
Peat and peatlands are hugely important for plants, the wildlife that depend on them and, ultimately, us humans too. Peat bogs store vast amounts of carbon, which must kept in the ground to avoid contributing to climate change. Peat bogs also act like a sponge, soaking up rainwater, and can help to reduce flood risk.
How do you save peatlands?
Urgent action worldwide is required to protect, sustainably manage and restore peatlands. This involves protecting them from degrading activities such as agricultural conversion and drainage, and restoring the waterlogged conditions required for peat formation to prevent the release of carbon stored in peat soil.
Why is Burns Bog important?
Burns Bog is listed under the Fraser River Delta Ramsar Site as a wetland of international significance because it is a major migratory bird stopover on the Pacific Flyway. It also provides feeding and roosting for approximately 250,000 migratory and wintering waterfowl, and 1 million shorebirds.
How do bogs help the environment?
Bog Ecology Bogs are ecologically important because they absorb great amounts of precipitation. They prevent flooding and absorb runoff. Sphagnum moss, reeds, sedges, and heather are common bog plants. Bogs that receive all their water from precipitation (not lakes, glaciers or groundwater) are ombrotrophic.
What can I use instead of peat?
Peat Moss Alternatives
- Coconut Coir. Coconut coir, also known as coco peat or coir peat, is rapidly gaining popularity and is the best-known alternative to peat moss.
- Wood-Based Materials.
- Compost.
- Pine Needles.
- Rice Hulls.
- Leaf Mold.
- Composted Manure.
Can you walk around Burns Bog?
Burns Bog spans over 8000 Acres, but you can come walk 5km of trail and our scenic boardwalk! Open 365 days a year, the Delta Nature Reserve is the public section of Burns Bog and can be reached by car, transit, and bike. You can park at 10388 Nordel Court, the parking lot of Planet Ice, in Delta.
What animals are in Burns Bog?
The most common and widespread mammal species utilizing Burns Bog include, Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), Coyote (Canis latrans), Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), Beaver (Castor canadensis), Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), Raccoon (Procyon lotor), Douglas’ Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii …
Can you create a peat bog?
To cultivate your own carnivorous plants, you will need to keep them in big buckets or build your own peat bog. An artificial peat bog needs to be big enough to sustain large temperature variation without losing all its water.
How do bogs work?
A bog is formed when a lake slowly fills with plant debris. Sphagnum moss, as well as other plants, grow out from the lake’s edge. Plants decay slowly in bogs, because flooding prevents a healthy flow of oxygen from the atmosphere. Bog soils are oxygen- and nutrient-poor, and are much more acidic than other soils.
What can I do to help protect my bogs?
Education, raising awareness, fundraising, volunteering, advocacy—these are all ways to get involved in protecting bog wetlands. Burns Bog Conservation Society presents regular public education sessions and school field trips.
How big is the Burns Bog in BC?
Burns Bog is an ombrotrophic peat bog located in Delta, British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest raised peat bog and the largest undeveloped urban land mass on the West Coast of the Americas. Burns Bog was originally 4,000–4,900 hectares (9,900–12,100 acres) before development.
How is Burns Bog important to the environment?
Burns Bog plays a major role in climate regulation. It helps to maintain the health of nearby creeks, which are critical salmon-bearing sites. The peat in the bog does this by cooling and filtering rainwater that comes in.
What can you do with the peat from bogs?
Avoid peat. Peat from bogs has been harvested extensively for use in agriculture and gardening. Home gardeners may want to choose other soil conditioners, such as composted leaves or coconut fibre husk, for plant drainage instead of adding pressure to the world’s peat supply.