Lake Bemidji State Park bog walk

[bud]

September 15, 2013 - Photos from the bog walk at Lake Bemidji State Park in northern Minnesota.

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea and Drosera rotundifolia are the only two carnivores I've seen at the park. These photos are from this weekend. I have visited before in the spring and the pitchers that survive the winter are more red, I guess they get more sun and color up when the surrounding plants die back.

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea




Bog buddies - sphagnum moss, ferns, some type of rhododendron and cranberries


The bog surrounds a lake and the bog walk goes to the edge.


This shot is just in from the edge of the lake




I believe the red pitcher below is hanging on from last year


Finally saw some sundews, they were easier to spot when I went in the spring before everything else grew up


The weather had recently turned much cooler, the week before highs were in the 80's

[bud]

A few photos from May 2011.

This is what the plants look like after winter


The sundews are much easier to spot before the moss takes over

[John Brittnacher]

It looks in the photos that the site is rather shaded and you have single plants widely scattered?

Also the Sarracenia plants look young like someone scattered seeds maybe 15 years ago. How natural is the site?

[bud]

It was shaded this time. When I went in the spring it seemed more open, everything must grow quickly in the summer.

The park has been around since 1923 but the bog walk area may have been added more recently. The trails and the boardwalk leading to the site look newer at least. There are plants further away from the boardwalk but within "throwing distance" from what I've seen, someone could have distributed some seeds I guess.

I talked to a park ranger who was out at the bog in 2011. He didn't have a lot of info on CP's. If I get back there next year I will ask about the history of that area.

This wikipedia site has a little info about the park and so does the DNR page, but not very in depth.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bemidji_State_Park
www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_bemidji/index.html

A few plants further away from the boardwalk

[Apoplast]

Hi Bud - I didn't see this. Nice shots! I was out there just a couple weeks before you were. It's a neat little bog and earlier in the season has loads of orchids. Have you been out to Mille Lacs State Park? I've heard there are some nice populations there as well. Are there any good sphagnum bogs in Douglas or Otter Tail counties? There are so many lakes out there, but then again you are on the prairie border.

Hi John - To your questions: That location, specifically where the boardwalk meanders, is very shaded. Maybe too shaded for the long term survival of those plants. I don't know. But it's boreal forest, there always a change for a good ice storm that would open the habitat up nicely.

As far as the prospect of someone spreading seeds, it can't be ruled out of course, but that's solidly within the range for S. purpurea in the state. Loads of little bog lakes, covered in sphagnum and cp's. To me, the plants look young at all. I've never seen any plants that look much bigger than that in this part of the world. I've been to sites where the pitcher plants have been there for at least a hundred years (almost certainly much longer, but that's how long we have continuous historical records) and they looked about the same. I've never seen anything around here like the massive clumps like those from photos taken Switzerland. I feel like that's just how S. purpurea looks here. Although, maybe you are noticing something I am not. That's always possible.

[bud]

Haven't seen any sphagnum here in Douglas county but I think some is around. A farmer nearby did mention that he had a boggy area with cranberries growing in it, could be something interesting. Never been to Mille Lacs State Park. I was hoping the UMCPS would make the trip to Big Bog because I haven't been there yet either. Maybe next year.

[Apoplast]

Hi Bud - I know Ed has been jonesing for that Big Bog trip for a couple years now. You should try to pull for it at the next meeting. I'd like to get out and see some of the 9 utric species between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Regardless, I think there are a few other members of the UMCPS that want to get out and see more CP's in situ.