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What Is the Difference Between Bogs & Fens?
What Is the Difference Between Bogs & Fens?. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, fens and bogs are not the same thing. Although both are types of wetlands, the ways that they collect water are different and result in different chemical compositions that affect which plants and other life forms are found there.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, fens and bogs are not the same thing. Although both are types of wetlands, the ways that they collect water are different and result in different chemical compositions that affect which plants and other life forms are found there.
Bogs
Bogs are low-lying areas that collect water when it rains or snows. These areas are not fed by other sources of water and so the water that collects in them tends to stagnate, becoming acidic and low in oxygen. This combined with the lower temperatures in bog kills bacteria, causing dead plants and animals to decay slowly. In addition to sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.), plants that thrive in bogs include waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.), cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccos) and pickerel weed (Pontederia spp.). These plants grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 thorough 10, USDA zones 3 through 11, USDA zones 2 through 6, and USDA zones 3 through 10, respectively. Frogs, turtles, salamanders and insects also live in bogs but fish are rare because of the low levels of oxygen in the water.
Fens
Fens are similar to bogs but, in addition to collecting snow and rainwater, are fed by small underground streams and groundwater. This makes the water in fens less acidic and more oxygen-rich. Because of this, they support more rodents, including shrews and voles, as well as more insects and insect-eating birds than bogs. Fens are more likely to have fish. Fens in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7 are perfect for growing showy lady's slipper flowers (Cypripedium reginae). Fens also support various reeds (Phregmites spp.) and sedges (Carex spp.). Depending upon varieties, sedges grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9 while reeds grow in USDA zones 3 through 11.
