IphotographtheplantsIfindina bog.

"There'ssomethingmagicaboutit,"

saysJimMurphy.Iwouldagree.MurphylivesinKilkishen,Ireland.Heburnsturftoheathis home.

What’sturf?It’sasoilmadeupofdecayingplants.Itisalsocalledpeat.InIreland,peatcomesfrombogs.Theycover20percentofthecountry.I’mEmilyToner.Istudy bogs.

Abogisawetlandmadefromwaterandplants.Asasoil,itisdenseandrich.Walkingonabogfeelslike“walkingonwater.”That’sbecausebogsholdwater.Themossinbogsholdsupto
20timesitsweightin water.

Bogsalsoabsorbcarbondioxidefromtheair.ThislessensthegreenhouseeffectonEarth.How?Carbondioxidetrapsheat.ToomuchofthisgascancauseEarth’stemperaturesto rise.

Thisisabouquetofbogmossescollectedfromone bog.

aclose-uplookatsphagnum moss

StoringCarbon

Bogstrapcarbonandkeepitinplace.ThathelpskeepEarth’stemperaturessteady.That’swhybogsarecalledcarbonsinks.Theystoretwicethecarbonthat’sheldin forests.

PeopleinIrelandhavealwaysreliedonbogsforsurvival.Wildberriesandotherplantscanprovidefood.Andpeatcutintobrickstoburnasfuelisstillamajor resource.

Sadly,mostofIreland’sbogshaveshrunk.Peopledraintheland.Theyuseitforfarmingandother things.

EUROPE

Atlantic
Ocean

Ireland

Atlantic
Ocean

Irish
Sea

WheretheBogsAre

Ireland

HowRaisedBogsForm

AcommontypeofboginIrelandisaraisedbog.Theybegantoformafterthelasticeage10,000yearsago.Waterfilledinhollowsthathadbeenscrapedoutbyglaciers.Theyformedsmall lakes.