Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Bog
These dwarf-shrub bogs occur on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Cape Cod, Long Island, and New Jersey. They typically occur in glacial kettleholes - isolated basins formed when a chunk of glacial ice was left and melted amid sand and gravel deposits; south of the glacial border they are found in similar isolated basins, in regions of deep sands supporting a pine barrens landscape. The bogs develop on acidic, tannic water supporting a floating or grounded mat of peatmoss over which dwarf-shrubs such as leatherleaf, dwarf huckleberry, and others have rooted. Taller shrubs such as highbush blueberry may occur at the periphery of the bog, and swamp-loosestrife often forms a distinct zone at the edge of open water. Scattered individuals of pitch pine, eastern white pine, or, less often, Atlantic white-cedar or black spruce may form a partial and stunted tree layer. Aquatic plants such as water-lilies occur in open water. For more information, see NatureServe Explorer.
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