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Muskeg: What is it?

Muskeg is an Algonquian term for areas covered with sphagnum mosses, tussocky sedges and an open growth of scrubby timber (Radforth and Brawner, 1977). Peatland, mire and organic terrain are equivalent and commonly used terms.

Muskeg is a complex of wetland types that typically occur in cool, northern climates such as boreal forests. “The colloquial, and widely misunderstood, term muskeg is used to refer to the complex mosaic of fens, bogs, swamps and pools, and scrubby forest that becomes increasingly common to the north” (Johnson et al, 1995.) Like the boreal forest, muskeg is circumpolar, occurring in all northern latitudes of the globe. The formation of muskeg requires cool and moist conditions which result in slow decomposition of plant matter. In addition, Muskeg develops where the ground is saturated, the water table is high and drainage is poor. It is very common on flat, poorly drained terrain, figure 1. Permafrost plays an important role by prohibiting drainage and concentrating the water near the surface however is not essential to the development of muskeg.

Figure 1: Aerial view of muskeg wetland complex near Fort Nelson , photo by W. MacKenzie

Muskeg consists of “peat” or partially decomposed plant material deposited under saturated soil conditions (MacKenzie and Moran, 2004), ranging from poorly decomposed sphagnum peat moss or sedge peat to highly decomposed muck. Peatmoss is the common factor of muskeg and is where the term peatland is derived from. Pieces of herbs, shrubs and wood, such as buried tree branches, roots, or whole trees, can also make up a portion of the organic soil. Sphagnum moss is the mainstay of muskeg. It soaks up and holds several times its own weight in water. In the process, it keeps water from draining through the soil.

The water level in muskeg is usually at or near the surface. Stepping on muskeg is like stepping on a sponge, and walking across it involves avoiding open ponds that range in size from potholes to small lakes. Because of this throughout the ages, muskeg has been described with distaste and mysticism, “people were known to have disappeared without a trace in the swirling mists and dark gurgling waters of muskeg. It was assumed to be the dwelling place of bad spirits, and dangerous outlaws and witches”, (Glob, 1969 in Radforth and Brawner, 1977).

Figure 2: Aerial view of muskeg wetland complex near Fort Nelson , photo by W. MacKenzie

From the viewpoint of industrial exploration in northern Canada , Tom Alderman describes muskeg in the following way “The machine hasn't been invented that can get through it consistently. It slurps up roads and railways, gobbles buildings and airfields, swallows the least trace of humanity. In summer, it's a rotting mushland of blackflies and mosquitoes and the odor akin to backed-up septic tanks. In winter it's an eerie half-world, a frozen lifeless wasteland defying civilization” (Alderman, 1965 in Radforth and Brawner, 1977). Nevertheless, a wealth of crude oil, natural gas and minerals lie underneath it. “Muskeg is both a prize and plaque, a crazy mixed-up quagmire with a split personality” (Alderman, 1965 in Radforth and Brawner, 1977). No matter whether we like it or hate it, it is a dominant feature of the Canadian landscape as well as a significant feature of northeastern BC.

To sum up muskeg is a complex of various wetland types such as: bogs, fens marshes and swamps. Bogs and fens are the dominant and most widespread wetland types of muskeg ecosystems while marshes and swamps are less common. It is for this reason that bogs and fens are described and photographed in detail while marshes and swamps to a lesser extent. The following pages aim to take the reader through a photographic journey exploring the beauty and wonder of the northern boreal muskeg.

Figure 3: Black spruce bog with scrub birch understory

Figure 4: Black spruce bog with less scrub birch understory

 http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/prnr/photo_journey/muskeg.htm