The Kent Bog
N 41° 07.688 W 081° 21.221
17T E 470312 N 4553041
The Kent Bog is a living relict from the Ice Age. Today it supports the largest, southernmost stand of tamarack trees in the continental U.S.
Waymark Code: WM6797
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2009
Views: 17
Nice walking preserve here. Boardwalk trail is exactly .5 and loops through it. Starts and stops near the parking lot. Take your time walking it, don't miss a thing and be sure to read each and every interpretive wayside along the way, they're very interesting.
From Ohio's DNR website:
In glacial times, the boreal forest, including tamarack, dominated the landscape far south of northern Ohio.
Kent Bog is a living relict from the Ice Age. In glacial times, the boreal forest, including tamarack, dominated the landscape far south of northern Ohio. Today, however, Kent Bog supports the largest, southernmost stand of tamarack in the continental United States.
There are over 3,500 tamaracks in the population with many robust seedlings growing among the larger trees. Here, too, is a fine population of gray birch, also a tree of more northern distribution. Gray Birch and tamarack are both potentially threatened species in Ohio.
With the passing of the Ice Age the last glacier began to melt, leaving a huge block of ice which was gradually buried by silt, sands and gravel continued to wash out of the retreating glacier. Eventually the ice block melted and the resulting depression filled with water. Thus, a deep kettle-hole lake about 50 acres in size was formed.
The lake was surrounded by coniferous forest dominated by spruce, fir, and tamarack. As the climate warmed, plants colonized the shoreline encroaching upon the open waters. a floating mat of sphagnum moss and other bog plants began to cover the lake.
Although it would take thousands of years, this was the beginning of a natural process by which the basin eventually would fill in with peat until bog meadow replaced glacial lake.
What has become of the glacial lake? The natural process of filling with peat has finally been realized. No longer a lake, the kettle-hole has been transformed into a lovely bog meadow. Fortunately, unusual environmental conditions have enabled most of the boreal vegetation to survive.
Waymark is confirmed to be publicly accessible: yes
Parking Coordinates: N 41° 07.759 W 081° 21.221
Access fee (In local currency): .00
Requires a high clearance vehicle to visit.: no
Requires 4x4 vehicle to visit.: no
Website reference: [Web Link]
Public Transport available: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
No specific requirements, just have fun visiting the waymark.