Peat bogs sequester a massive amount of the Earth’s carbon dioxide. But even as scientists work to better understand bogs’ sequestration, the wetlands are under threat.
On a cold winter afternoon, naturalist and educator Mary Colwell guided visitors on a chilly tour of the Volo Bog Natural Area in northern Illinois.
Crouching down from a boardwalk that runs through the wetland, Colwell pointed to one of the stars of the tour: sphagnum moss. With her encouragement, the group touched the little branch-like leaves of the pale green moss growing at the base of a nearby tree.
“Then in warmer weather, this is so soft,” Colwell said. “It’s unreal.”
Bog ecosystems are some of the most efficient carbon-storage ecosystems in the world. They cover just 3 percent of the earth’s surface, yet hold up to 30 percent of global carbon.
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