Bog Images from Boreal Trail at APA Visitors Interpretive Center

Boreal Trail Bog
OBSERVATION: This picture of the flower of a Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea subsp. venosa) was taken off the Boreal Trail at the Visitor’s Interpretive Center at Paul Smiths. Pitcher plants are one of three types of carnivorous plants found in the Adirondacks. Carnivorous plants have evolved to obtain additional nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, by luring, trapping, and consuming animals such as insects, zooplankton, spiders, mites, tadpoles, and small fish. Carnivorous plants photosynthesize like most plants, but have a competitive advantage over non-carnivorous plants in ecosystems which are nutrient-poor such as bogs. Pitcher plants lure their prey by being aromatic, having bright venation, and possessing nectar. Pitcher plants trap prey by allowing their prey to fall into the pitcher-shaped leaves which contain water and digestive enzymes. The pitcher has hair and sticky substances on the inside that prevent prey from escaping. Pitcher plants are protected within New York State and are listed as exploitably vulnerable since they are vulnerable to amateur and commercial collectors.
The Snake Mouth Orchid ((Pogonia Ophioglossoides) is one of only 60 species of orchid found in New York state. Many species of orchids can be found in bogs and fens within the Adirondacks. Orchids are sought out for their beauty and rarity. Orchid flowers possess three sepals, which can be green or colorful, surrounding three petals. When one petal is distinctly different, it is referred to as a “lip”. The lip is considered to function as a landing platform for pollinators and provide visual and tactile cues for pollination. Orchids lure pollinators by being conspicuous, fragrant, and/or possessing nectar. Orchid blossoming is unpredictable and a species may have many blossoms and flourish one year and be absent the next year or for several years in the same area. Some species of orchids may take up to 15 years to flower. All native orchids are protected within New York State and are listed as exploitably vulnerable since they are vulnerable to amateur and commercial collectors. Some native orchids are, also, listed in New York State as endangered or rare.
I was fortunate to find a patch of Sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.) that had spore-producing “sporophytes” while visiting the bog at the Visitor Interpretive Center at Paul Smiths. Sphagnum moss, like all other mosses, reproduces by spores instead of seeds like wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. Sphagnum moss is both ecologically and commercially important. Sphagnum moss can be found in bogs, fens, and swamps within the Adirondacks. Within the northeastern U.S., there are dozens of species of sphagnum moss which vary in characteristics such as size, color, and habitat and may require a microscope for identification. SUBMITTED BY: Professor Daun Marie Dahlen Paul Smith’s College, Division of Natural Resources All images © 2003 Daun Marie Dahlen
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