Black Bog facts for kids

Black Bog is a special type of wetland called a bog in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It's located about 17 kilometers (about 10.5 miles) west of a town called Cookstown. This bog is one of the two biggest and most natural active bogs in Northern Ireland. It has unique areas with small hills (hummocks) and wet dips (hollows) filled with water. Black Bog is considered one of the best examples of this kind of natural area in the United Kingdom.

What is Black Bog?

Black Bog is a type of wetland known as a raised bog. Imagine a giant, spongy cushion that has grown over thousands of years. This cushion is made of dead plants, mostly a special moss called Sphagnum. Over time, this moss builds up, making the bog surface higher than the land around it. That's why it's called "raised"!

Unique Features of the Bog

The main part of Black Bog is covered by this raised bog. It has all the typical plants and shapes you would expect to see in such a habitat. Around the edges of the main bog, there are areas called "cut-over bog." These are places where peat (the built-up plant material) might have been removed in the past. There are also "poor fen" areas, which are wetlands with less rich soil.

Why is Black Bog Important?

Black Bog is recognized internationally as a very important wetland. It's known as a Ramsar site.

What is a Ramsar Site?

A Ramsar site is a wetland that has been chosen for its global importance. This happens under an agreement called the Ramsar Convention. This convention is an international treaty that focuses on protecting wetlands around the world. Wetlands are super important because they help clean water, prevent floods, and provide homes for many plants and animals.

Black Bog became a Ramsar site on December 14, 1999. It covers an area of 183.42 hectares (that's about 453 acres!). It's a great example of a lowland raised bog that is still mostly natural and healthy.

Plants and Animals at Black Bog

Black Bog is very special because of its large "hummock-hollow complex." This means it has many small hills (hummocks) and wet dips (hollows) that create different mini-habitats. It also has a lot of Sphagnum moss, which is key to a healthy bog.

Special Plants You Might See

• Sphagnum Moss: This moss is super important for bogs. It can hold a lot of water, like a sponge, and helps create the acidic conditions that bog plants love. Some of the Sphagnum hummocks here are very large!
• Crowberry: You might see a plant called Crowberry growing in large patches.
• Cladonia impexa: This is a type of lichen that forms big, cushion-like clumps on the bog surface.

Black Bog also has a mostly untouched "lagg." A lagg is a wet area that surrounds the raised part of the bog. It acts like a natural border, helping to keep the bog healthy and separate from the drier land around it.