Cedar Bog Student Reference

Cedar Bog is the name by which one of Ohio's most out-standing natural areas is known. Located in the southern part of Champaign County in a broad gravel-filled preglacial valley now occupied by the relatively small Mad River, the 428-acre preserve is a remnant of a vast wet-land that covered much of the valley prior to settlement.

Technically not a bog (an acid wetland environment) but a fen(a wet springy site with an internal flow of water rich in calcium and magnesium bicarbonates making it a neutral or alkaline environment), the area includes plant associations that have been described as bog meadow, marl meadow, shrub carr, arbor vitae hummock, swamp forest and beech-maple woods. There is also a tallgrass prairie element present. Over fifty plant and ten animal species that are considered rare or endangered in Ohio are known to occur there. Cedar Run, for example, is one of the few Ohio streams that supports a native brook trout population and spotted turtle and eastern massasauga can be found in the bog. Several species of uncommon butterflies are present and more than 100 species of birds have been recorded in a single year. The wetland is an oasis for amphibians in the agricultural valley. The wild-flower show begins with skunk cabbage in February and ends with fringed gentian in October and includes some rare native Ohio orchids.

Bogs are ponds that are being filled in by Sphagnum moss. The picture below shows the only Sphagnum moss in Cedar Bog. It is the reddish pink plant in the picture.
Sphagnum Moss
The main plants of a fen are called sedges. Sedges are the grasslike plants in the picture below. If you were at the bog, you could feel the triangle edges of the sedge.
Sedges

The first one hundred acres of Cedar Bog were acquired by the Ohio Historical Society in 1941. The Nature Conservancy and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources have helped with the purchase of additional parcels. Concerned individual citizens and conservation organizations worked to prevent construction of a four-lane highway along side the bog in the early seventies. Later, students from local colleges helped build the original boardwalk that carried visitors through the bog's special habitats. More recently, garden clubs and interested individuals have contributed funds to help rehabilitate the elevated wooden trail.

Designated a National Natural Landmark and a State Nature Preserve, the Bog is managed by the Ohio Historical Society. It is a fragile environment that requires care and concern when being visited. For current information on hours of public visitation and for reservations for groups, please call 1-800-860-0147 or E-Mail Cedar Bog..

While the future of Cedar Bog may seem secure because of its protective ownership it is far from certain. Excessive pumping of groundwater in the valley and potential removal of sand and gravel from adjacent land are but two of the threats to the integrity of the Bog that dictate constant vigilance on the part of its caretakers. Widespread education among the citizens of the area about the value of the Bog is important for its long range protection and preservation.

Cedar Bog Student Reference

Sphagnum Moss

Sedges

Other Educational Links