Carrying Place Cove Bog EarthCache
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Welcome to Carrying Place Cave Bog, a unique wetland called a Coastal Raised Plateau Bog, which is one of several found along Maine’s Downeast Bold Coast.
This bog is significant as it served as the site for one of the first descriptions of coastal plateau bogs and one of the finest examples of coastal raised plateau bogs, of which there are only six undisturbed, fully featured examples in the United States. Coastal plateau bogs are raised or elevated above the surrounding landscape. Many raised coastal bogs have a relatively flat surface giving rise to the name 'plateau bog', a morphological form found within about 5 miles of the coast only in eastern Maine and adjacent New Brunswick, coastal Scandinavia, and New Zealand.
In bogs, the peat has built up to such an extent that the living vegetation is raised above sources of surrounding surface water or underlying groundwater. These raised peatlands are called ombrotrophic (rain-fed), and receive water solely from the precipitation of rain, snow, or fog. Because the amount of mineral nutrients carried by precipitation is very low, bogs are the most nutrient-poor of peatland communities. The lack of minerals contributes to highly acidic conditions in bogs. The plants, animals, and microbes that are characteristic of bogs have special adaptations to these nutrient poor and acidic conditions. Sphagnum or peat mosses are typically the dominant plant in raised peatlands, and are the most common plant to make up peat. Shrubby plants common to this wetland include labrador tea, small-leaved cranberry, and leatherleaf.
Plant decomposition is slow in raised bogs, so peat continues to build up over time. Eventually, water draining from the built up peat layers of the raised bog changes the way the water flows in the surrounding wetland communities, which may lead to changes in nutrient content, acidity of the water, and the types of plants that grow in these communities.
This is also a fine example of a tombollo (tied island) eroded by the sea and encroached upon by a tidal beach. It was designated as a National Natural Landmark in April, 1980.
Do not venture into the bog, as it is much deeper then it appears form the roads edge. At the posted coordinates you are looking at an eroded cross section of a bog. You can see the foundation and the various layers of the bog. It is also easy to see why you do not want to walk on the surface. Describe the layers that have formed in the bog starting at the bottom working your way to the surface. Email me through my profile the description. Also take some time to look down the road at the parking area, notice the difficulty in construction. It also would be nice if you would post a photo so others would know what they have to look forward to at this earth cache.
If you enjoy this earthcache you may want to check the Maine Geological Survey located at (visit link)
They have developed a number of information sheets or field localities giving a great deal of information about geologic features. They also have a number of books and maps about Maine’s natural history/ geology that you might find interesting.
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