Cedar Bog
Encyclopedia
Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve is a fen
left behind by the retreating glaciers of the Wisconsin glaciation
about 12,000-18,000 years ago. A protected area of about 450 acres (1.8 km²) of fen remain from the original area of approximately 7,000 acres (28 km²).
Cedar Bog is located in Champaign County
, Ohio
, United States
, near the city of Urbana
. Ground water from the Mad River
Valley and the Urbana Outwash percolate through hundreds of feet of gravel left behind by the glacier in the Teays River
. The Teays River is an underground river that existed before the Wisconsin glacier which, before the glacier, rivaled the Ohio River
in size.
In addition to the water that feeds the bog, the glacier also left behind plants that are unique to Cedar Bog. Many of these plants are rare or endangered. The sedges
and other plants that grow here left behind by the last glacier
were the food for mastodon
s and giant sloths
that once roamed the earth. Also, trees found here like Bog Birch and Northern White Cedar are more commonly found in the more northern Boreal Forest. Cedar Bog is also the home of the endangered Spotted Turtle
, Massasauga Rattlesnake
, and Milbert's tortoise-shell butterfly
.
Cedar Bog was purchased in 1942 by the Ohio Historical Society
and was the first nature preserve purchased with State monies. It is on the register of National Natural Landmarks.
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
left behind by the retreating glaciers of the Wisconsin glaciation
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
about 12,000-18,000 years ago. A protected area of about 450 acres (1.8 km²) of fen remain from the original area of approximately 7,000 acres (28 km²).
Cedar Bog is located in Champaign County
Champaign County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,890 people, 14,952 households, and 10,870 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 15,890 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the city of Urbana
Urbana, Ohio
Urbana is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Ohio, United States, west of Columbus. Urbana was laid out in 1805, and for a time in 1812 was the headquarters of the Northwestern army. Urbana was named after the town of Urbanna, Virginia. It is the burial-place of the Indian fighter...
. Ground water from the Mad River
Mad River (Ohio)
The Mad River is a stream located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It flows from Logan County to downtown Dayton, where it meets the Great Miami River. The stream flows southwest from its source near Campbell Hill through West Liberty, along U.S...
Valley and the Urbana Outwash percolate through hundreds of feet of gravel left behind by the glacier in the Teays River
Teays River
The Teays River was an important preglacial river that drained much of the area now drained by the Ohio River, and more. Traces of the Teays across northern Ohio and Indiana are represented by a network of river valleys. These valleys were carved in the late Cenozoic and eventually led to the...
. The Teays River is an underground river that existed before the Wisconsin glacier which, before the glacier, rivaled the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in size.
In addition to the water that feeds the bog, the glacier also left behind plants that are unique to Cedar Bog. Many of these plants are rare or endangered. The sedges
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
and other plants that grow here left behind by the last glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
were the food for mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
s and giant sloths
Megatherium
Megatherium was a genus of elephant-sized ground sloths endemic to Central America and South America that lived from the Pliocene through Pleistocene existing approximately...
that once roamed the earth. Also, trees found here like Bog Birch and Northern White Cedar are more commonly found in the more northern Boreal Forest. Cedar Bog is also the home of the endangered Spotted Turtle
Spotted Turtle
The Spotted turtle , the only current species of Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of yellow tiny round spots...
, Massasauga Rattlesnake
Sistrurus catenatus
Sistrurus catenatus is a venomous pitviper species found primarily in the United States. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
, and Milbert's tortoise-shell butterfly
Aglais milberti
Milbert's Tortoiseshell , also known as the Fire-rim Tortoiseshell, is the only species of Aglais that occurs in North America.-Description:...
.
Cedar Bog was purchased in 1942 by the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
and was the first nature preserve purchased with State monies. It is on the register of National Natural Landmarks.