A
bog is a
mire that accumulates
peat, a deposit of dead
plant material—often
mosses, and in a majority of cases,
sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of
wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire, and
muskeg; alkaline mires are called
fens. They are frequently covered in
ericaceous shrubs rooted in the sphagnum moss and peat. The gradual accumulation of decayed plant material in a bog functions as a
carbon sink.