The Way of the Peat Bog (warning: contains dead trees)

On my walk in the local peat bog yesterday, I once again realised peat bogs are a nasty environment for trees.

Trees, especially birches, try to grow there when the water level is low, but rising water levels, combined with the acidity of the water and the general sogginess, will kill them, leaving nothing but a place for moss to grow:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 120mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/60s}

Most start rotting and topple over when the water level rises ...

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 28mm, ISO125, f5.6, 1/60s}

... leaving nothing but a ragged stump:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 120mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/125s}

The tree graveyards can make the place look decidedly gloomy in autumn and winter. Still, the trees keep trying, even right next to a dead comrade:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 35mm, ISO100, f4, 1/500s, repost}

It is only on the higher edges of the peat bog that the birches can thrive, like these that I call "the three sisters". I use them for orientation when wandering around in the peat bog:

^{Olympus XZ-1, 70mm, ISO100, f8, 1/160s, repost}

There must be a moral somewhere in this short photo story, but I leave that to the reader.

Thanks for watching!