Raised bog

A peatland that forms a raised dome as peat accumulates above the surrounding terrain. Its vegetation and water supply are largely sustained by precipitation rather than groundwater.

Sphagnum: A genus of mosses that can retain large amounts of water and acidify their surroundings. Its water retention and slow decomposition help raised bogs accumulate peat.
Bog: A rain-fed, acidic peatland with waterlogged soils and vegetation adapted to low nutrient availability. Raised bogs are a form of bog distinguished by their domed profile.
Paludiculture: The cultivation of crops on wet peatlands while maintaining high water levels. It offers a way to produce biomass without draining bog peat.
Chat Moss: A large peat bog near Manchester in northwest England, historically exploited for fuel and agriculture. Its drainage and subsequent restoration illustrate pressures on raised bog landscapes.
Peat: Partially decomposed plant material that accumulates in waterlogged environments. Peat accumulation is the material process that raises the bog above surrounding land.
Fen: A peat-forming wetland supplied by groundwater or surface water, often richer in minerals than a bog. Fens receive mineral inputs that raised bogs largely lose when they grow above surrounding land.
Peat extraction: The removal of accumulated peat for fuel, horticulture, or other uses. Extraction can destroy the raised profile and release carbon stored in the bog.
Ballynahone Bog: A raised bog in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and a designated nature reserve. It is a protected example of a raised bog in the British Isles.
Ombrotrophy: A condition in which an ecosystem receives water and nutrients chiefly from precipitation. Raised bogs become elevated enough to depend mainly on rain rather than mineral-rich groundwater.
Blanket bog: A peatland that spreads as a relatively continuous layer over broad, often sloping terrain. Unlike raised bogs, blanket bogs cover terrain rather than forming a distinct dome.

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