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This is a companion page for a set of ecosystem-based postcards and bookmarks distributed by the Center for Climate Literacy. This page provides information about each of the two ecosystems illustrated in this set: the riparian woodland and the sphagnum bog. (Printed materials are not required to understand the information on this page.)
The riparian woodland and the sphagnum bog were chosen for this illustrated set not only because of their importance as habitats (including within Minnesota), but also because they have historically often been underappreciated. This page aims to foster greater appreciation and interest in habitats like these through showcasing what these ecosystems look like when they're flourishing. Additionally, these illustrations focus on many important organisms within these ecosystems that are also commonly overlooked -- often because they are difficult to see, or just because they're considered 'plain.'
The Riparian Woodland
Riparian woodlands are a type of forest that surrounds a stream or river. Many species of trees and shrubs that grow along streams thrive in areas of high moisture – these include species like willows and alders. These trees provide shade for the stream they surround, cooling down the overall temperature of the water and providing habitat for many organisms that are adapted to living in cold water. Additionally, when leaves from these trees fall into the stream, they add organic matter to the stream and provide food for many aquatic organisms.
In areas where rivers run through agricultural fields or other developed areas, riparian woodlands can often often decline. However, in addition to the organisms they support, these forests are vital because of the effective erosion control they provide. Without any trees, rain and runoff can rapidly erode streambanks and make streams shallow and silty, degrading habitat quality and increasing the risk of flooding. The masses of roots from the riparian trees and shrubs help keep soil from being washed away.
This illustration depicts a cold-water stream that is likely fed by rainwater and snow melt, surrounded by deciduous forest and shrubs. In addition to the aquatic species it supports, this habitat also provides shelter for terrestrial organisms that come to the stream for water and food.
Note: This illustration has been altered slightly to include oval amber snails and stonefly nymphs, and may not exactly resemble printed postcards.
Riparian Woodland Organisms
Spotlight Organisms
- Broad-leaf arrowhead is an aquatic plant that often grows on shaded streambanks or in flooded ditches. The seeds of this plant are frequently eaten by aquatic birds, and arrowhead also grows edible tubers that are traditionally eaten by many Native American peoples (and by other organisms such as muskrats).
- Water tape grass is a common aquatic plant that grows underwater in freshwater and brackish (salty) environments. It provides food and shelter for various aquatic organisms, and it is also commonly used in aquariums.
- Marsh marigolds grow along the banks of lakes, streams, and wetlands. Though they’re called “marigolds,” they're actually a type of buttercup. The bright yellow flowers, as well as the generous nectar and pollen they provide, attract many different types of insect pollinators.
- Scuds, also known as amphipods or sideswimmers, are small, aquatic crustaceans that live in a variety of freshwater and saltwater habitats. They are omnivorous and will eat decomposing leaves, algae, bacteria, and other invertebrates, among other things. They are eaten by a wide variety of other organisms.
- Daphnia, also called water fleas, are microorganisms that live in freshwater environments like lakes and streams. These tiny animals eat little pieces of algae and other microscopic organisms like bacteria. Native daphnia species are an important food source for many larger aquatic organisms, and their filter feeding can help improve water quality. However, some invasive species of daphnia (such as the spiny water flea) can be harmful to these ecosystems.
- Stonefly nymphs resemble adult stoneflies, except for their lack of wings. The nymphs live underwater and prey on other aquatic invertebrates, swimming around by undulating their bodies form side to side. In slow-moving water without much oxygen, stonefly nymphs will do “pushups” in order to increase the flow of oxygenated water around their bodies.
- Northern caddisfly nymphs live underwater in elaborately constructed cases made out of pebbles and grains of sand, stuck together with silk. They carry these protective cases around with them as they crawl along the stream bed, feeding on pieces of algae, tiny bits of leaves, and dead insects.
- Water striders are insects that are able to skate across the surface of the water by utilizing surface tension. They use this ability to hunt and scavenge other insects that have fallen into the water. The insect illustrated here is a type of broad-shouldered water strider.
- Eastern newts are a type of salamander that can display a variety of different life stages, depending on environmental conditions. All eastern newt larvae are aquatic, but juvenile newts (called efts) can have terrestrial or aquatic forms, as can the adults.
- American water shrews are small rodents that very adept at swimming and diving. They have poor eyesight, but they use their long whiskers to locate and catch prey underwater, including small fish and aquatic insects. These shrews can also “smell underwater” by exhaling air bubbles onto objects, then re-inhaling them.
- Oval amber snails are a species of small terrestrial snail that lives along stream banks, as well as in drier environments. Along streams, they will eat algae off of rocks, as well as decomposing leaves and other vegetation.
- White suckers are a species of stream fish that feeds on small particles of food at the bottom of streams using their downward-facing mouths. Their role in streams is often underappreciated because they are considered rough fish (fish that anglers consider undesirable to catch).
- Freshwater Mussels are an extremely important part of many stream ecosystems due to their role as filter feeders. Mussels can increase water quality and clarity by decreasing the amount of particulate matter in the water and eating fast-spreading organisms like algae. Their habit of burrowing into underwater sediment helps stabilize stream beds in the same way tree roots help stabilize stream banks.
More Organisms
Can you find these other organisms in the illustration above?
- White-tailed deer: common hoofed herbivore that eats a wide variety of plants.
- Raccoon: omnivorous black-and-gray mammal that has a unique habit of washing its food before eating it.
- Brook trout: freshwater fish that lives in cold-water streams.
- Eastern wood pewee: species of flycatcher (birds that catch insects mid-air) with gray plumage.
- Wild raspberries: shrubs with white flowers that turn into sweet red berries, covered in small, prickly thorns.
- Mallard: a widespread species of dabbling duck – males have green heads, and females are mottled brown.
- Golden Alexanders: plants with yellow clusters of flowers that grow along streams, in woodlands, or in prairies.
- Serviceberries: shrub-like trees with delicate white flowers that turn into purplish berries later in the season (depicted here with flowers a little later than is typical).
- Rams-horn snails: small aquatic snails with spiral shells that eat algae off of rocks.
- Black Willow: large tree that prefers having its roots in water, with clusters of long, thin leaves that often droop downwards.
The Sphagnum Bog
Sphagnum bogs are a type of wetland with stagnant (non-flowing) areas of water which are primarily covered by sphagnum moss. On top of this thick moss mat, sphagnum bogs are dominated by shrub growth and coniferous trees such as black spruce and tamarack. Sphagnum moss naturally increases the acidity of the water and soil around it, and the bogs are also nutrient-poor because most of their water originates from rain instead of runoff. Thus, many of the organisms that live in bogs are specially adapted to these harsh conditions, and any trees that grow in the bog are stunted.
Bogs were historically drained so that they could be converted into agricultural land, but these ecosystems are not only extremely important for biodiversity — they are also considered effective carbon sinks, meaning that they can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it underground.
This illustration depicts the edge of boreal sphagnum bog, with the surrounding coniferous forest visible in the background. These habitat margins are utilized both by specially adapted bog organisms and by non-adapted organisms that live in the surrounding forested areas.
Sphagnum Bog Organisms
Spotlight Organisms
Sphagnum moss forms the foundation of a sphagnum bog, growing in thick, absorbent layers over the ground and water. As older layers of moss die back, they begin to partially decompose, but the acidity and lack of oxygen in the bog's soil and water keeps them from completely breaking down. This partially decomposed moss is known as peat moss. It naturally accumulates in bogs over time, and can store a huge amount of carbon.
Labrador tea grows readily in wetland areas like bogs, forming part of the underbrush layer. The leaves of these plants can be used to brew an herbal medicinal tea, which considered a traditional drink among multiple indigenous peoples.
Bog cranberry thrives in areas with acidic and nutrient-poor soils, similarly to their relatives, the blueberries. The nutritious red berries are eaten by many types of bog-dwelling birds and mammals, and the flowers provide pollen and nectar for many insect species.
Boreal bog orchids are also known as tall white bog orchids or bog candles. The extremely fragrant clusters of small, white flowers are thought to be primarily visited by small butterflies, moths, and flies.
Bog copper butterflies lay eggs on their host plant, bog cranberry. The caterpillars can only eat cranberry leaves, and adults preferentially drink nectar from bog cranberry flowers, making this species completely reliant on bog ecosystems.
Round-leaf sundews are small carnivorous plants that have modified leaves covered in drops of mucilage (a gluey substance), which they use to capture insects. Plants like sundews and pitcher plants are extremely tolerant of nutrient poor soil conditions in bogs because of this adaptation – they’re able to obtain a lot of important nutrients (especially nitrogen) from digesting these insects instead.
Swamp beacons, sometimes called matchstick fungus, are a type of orange mushroom that grows in swamps and bogs, where the ground is saturated with water. This fungus feeds on decomposing plant matter, playing an important role in the ecosystem by recycling those nutrients.
Rotifers are microscopic animals that live in a variety of aquatic environments. They are a large, diverse group of organisms – the type of rotifer illustrated on the right is a bdelloid rotifer (pronounced “delloid”). These types of rotifers eat tiny pieces of vegetation, bacteria, and other microorganisms.
Pitcher plant mosquito larvae live in the little pools of rainwater that collect inside of purple pitcher plants. The larvae feed on smaller organisms living in the pools and will also eat some of the larger insects caught by the pitcher plant. Uniquely, adults in northern populations of this species don’t bite, but those in southern populations do.
Blue-spotted salamanders are amphibians that can be found in forests and wetlands — including some bogs. Like other amphibians, they require moisture from sources like damp leaf litter or moss to protect their skin from drying out. In bogs, they’re most likely to be found around the edges of the ecosystem, where the water is less acidic. Though depicted above ground in this illustration, blue-spotted salamanders spend most of their time underground and often wait until night to emerge.
Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are microorganisms that can live in a wide variety of habitats. They are considered extremophiles, meaning that they are able to survive in harsh environments (that would kill most other organisms) by entering long-term periods of hibernation. In bogs, they are often found on waterlogged mosses and lichens, or in standing water.
Northern bog lemmings are small rodents that can be found across Canada and very northern parts of the US, sometimes overlapping in range with the similar looking southern bog lemming. They primarily feed on grasses, moss, and insects in bogs or tundra habitats, and they create burrows underground or in the sphagnum moss.
Boreal chickadees are small songbirds that live in areas with coniferous trees, including northern bogs. They often build their nests in tree cavities, and they typically feed on a mixture of seeds, berries, and insects. They usually pick insects off of leaves and branches, but will occasionally pursue them through the air.
More Organisms
Can you find these other organisms in the illustration above?
- Moose: huge, hoofed herbivore that likes to eat aquatic plants that grow in areas of stagnant water.
- Great gray owl: large owl species that preys on a variety of other animals, including rodents, frogs, and smaller birds.
- Lily pads: aquatic plants with broad, waxy leaves that grow on the water’s surface.
- Muskrat: aquatic rodent that builds lodges out of sticks, similar to a small beaver.
- Black-backed woodpecker: boreal woodpecker species that primarily eats beetle larvae found in dead trees.
- Blueberry bushes: small shrubs (often with reddish-tinged leaves) bearing whitish flowers that turn into clusters of berries.
- Purple pitcher plants: carnivorous plants that trap insects in “pitchers” formed by modified leaves.
- Spring peepers: small, brown frogs that awake very early in the spring (a natural antifreeze in their blood allows them to freeze during winter, then thaw out in the spring).
- Green darner dragonflies: predatory green and blue insects with long abdomens and wings.
- Leatherleaf: common bog shrubs with clusters of small, white flowers.
A Closing Note
Though this illustration set only focuses on two types of ecosystems, there are a multitude of other habitats around the world that are also just as important. We are all surrounded by ecosystems every day (whether it be in natural landscapes, farm fields, suburbs, or cities), and we are also all part of our world’s ecosystems. Keeping ecosystems healthy and flourishing benefits us all, and often, the reason why humans cause ecosystems to decline is because they don’t realize their true importance. Observing and appreciating ecosystems fosters respect for these complex webs of life. (And it can also have a positive impact on mental health — helping us flourish, too!)
Though some of us might associate humans with the destruction of natural systems, in reality, we as a species are simply ecosystem engineers — just like species such as beavers and earthworms. We have the ability to radically alter the ecosystems around us, and this ability can have very beneficial or very negative impacts on ecosystems depending on how and where it’s used. We can destroy ecosystems, but we can also restore them and help them flourish. And most importantly, we have the ability to choose which path we take. It’s true that, for most of us, many of these choices are complicated, and outside of our direct control — but something that we can always do, no matter what, is observe and respect the life around us.
So get outside and take a look around you, or look up some information about the ecosystems in your area! You might be surprised at all the life you've seen every day without truly observing it.
Downloads
Printable PDF and JPG files for this illustration set can be found on our Resources page, under Visuals, Promos, and Multimedia.
This page and its materials were developed by Emma Ambrosi.