Sweetbay Bogs Preserve
Encyclopedia
Sweetbay Bogs Preserve was established in 1989 by the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The property contains a classic example of a hillside seepage bog
which the Conservancy designated as Sweetbay Bogs Preserve because of the multitude of sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) trees that occupy the site. The Preserve contains 194 acres (78 hectares) in Stone County, Mississippi
, near Red Creek , within the Pascagoula River
watershed.
in the southeastern United States
. Bogs, that are associated with longleaf pine ecosystems, are also known as Pocosins
. Some of the rare plants, that have been identified in the Sweetbay Bogs Preserve, include:
In addition, the Preserve contains typical bog plants, such as sundews (Drosera), butterworts (Pinguicula
), bladderworts (Utricularia) and pitcher plants (Sarracenia
). The area is also home to rare gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus
).
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
which the Conservancy designated as Sweetbay Bogs Preserve because of the multitude of sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) trees that occupy the site. The Preserve contains 194 acres (78 hectares) in Stone County, Mississippi
Stone County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,622 people, 4,747 households, and 3,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 5,343 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, near Red Creek , within the Pascagoula River
Pascagoula River
The Pascagoula River is a river, about 80 mi long, in southeastern Mississippi in the United States. The river drains an area of about 8,800 sq mi and flows into Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico....
watershed.
Ecology
Because they provide habitat for a number of rare plant species, bogs are considered to be critical natural communities in the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem, which once covered most of the Gulf Coastal PlainGulf Coastal Plain
The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico.The plain reaches from the western Florida Panhandle, the southwestern two thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky, southwest Arkansas, the Florida...
in the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. Bogs, that are associated with longleaf pine ecosystems, are also known as Pocosins
Pocosin
Pocosin is a term for a type of palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils. Groundwater saturates the soil except during brief seasonal dry spells and during prolonged droughts...
. Some of the rare plants, that have been identified in the Sweetbay Bogs Preserve, include:
- Bog spicebush (LinderaLinderaLindera is a genus of about 80-100 species of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae, mostly native to eastern Asia but with three species in eastern North America. The species are shrubs and small trees; common names include Spicewood, Spicebush, and Benjamin Bush.-Overview:They are dioecious,...
subcoriacea) - Coast sedge (CarexCarexCarex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
exilis) - Flame flower (MacrantheraOrobanchaceaeOrobanchaceae, the broomrape family, is a family of flowering plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera were formerly included in the family Scrophulariaceae sensu lato...
flammea) - Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia)
- Harper's yellow-eyed grass (XyrisXyrisXyris is the botanical name of a genus of flowering plants in the Yellow-eyed-grass family. The genus counts over two hundred fifty species, with the center of distribution in the Guianas....
scabrifolia) - Large beakrush (RhynchosporaRhynchosporaRhynchospora is a genus of about 250-300 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves...
macra) - Pineland bog button (LachnocaulonEriocaulaceaeThe Eriocaulaceae or pipewort family is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the order Poales. The family is large, with about 1,150-1,200 species described in ten genera. The family is widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical regions,...
digynum) - Southern butterwort (Pinguicula primulifloraPinguicula primulifloraPinguicula primuliflora, commonly known as the Primrose Butterwort, is a species of carnivorous plant belonging to the genus Pinguicula. It is native to the southeastern United States. The typical variety forms a white flower in blooming...
)
In addition, the Preserve contains typical bog plants, such as sundews (Drosera), butterworts (Pinguicula
Pinguicula
The butterworts are a group of carnivorous plants comprising the genus Pinguicula. Members of this genus use sticky, glandular leaves to lure, trap, and digest insects in order to supplement the poor mineral nutrition they obtain from the environments. Of the roughly 80 currently known species, 12...
), bladderworts (Utricularia) and pitcher plants (Sarracenia
Sarracenia
Sarracenia is a genus comprising 8 to 11 species of North American pitcher plants. The genus belongs to the family Sarraceniaceae, which also contain the closely allied genera Darlingtonia and Heliamphora....
). The area is also home to rare gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
).