The
Portlethen Moss is an
acidAn acid is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water, i.e. a pH less than 7.0...
ic bog
nature reserveA nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the coastal
GrampianGrampian was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. It is now divided into the unitary council areas of:*Moray*Aberdeenshire*City of AberdeenThe region had five districts:*Aberdeen*Banff and Buchan...
region in
AberdeenshireAberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Like other
mossesA bog or mire is a wetland type that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—usually mosses, but also lichens in Arctic climates....
, this
wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater,...
area supports a variety of plant and animal
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
, even though it has been subject to certain development and agricultural degradation pressures. For example, the
Great Crested NewtThe Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...
was found here prior to the expansion of the town of
PortlethenPortlethen is a town situated seven miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland along the A90. It has expanded rapidly over the last thirty years. Portlethen has a population of about seven thousand, and more than eight hundred houses are being built on nearby farmland...
. Many acid loving vegetative species occur in Portlethen Moss, and the
habitatThe term habitat has a number of meanings:* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows** Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is monitored by the
Scottish Wildlife TrustThe Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
.
Portlethen Moss is the location of considerable prehistoric,
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
and seventeenth century history, largely due to a ridge near the bog which was the route of early travellers. By at least the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
this
trackwayA trackway is an ancient route of travel for people and/or animals. In biology, a trackway can be a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by an animal. A fossil trackway is the fossilized imprint of a trackway. Trackways have been found all over the world...
was more formally constructed with raised stonework and called the
Causey MounthThe Causey Mounth is an ancient drovers' road over the coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This route was developed as the main highway between Stonehaven and Aberdeen around the 12th century AD and it continued to function as the principal route connecting these...
. Without this drovers' road, travel through the Portlethen Moss and several nearby bogs would have been impossible between
AberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. It has an official population estimate of .Nicknames include the Granite City, the Grey City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands...
and coastal points to the south.
History
Prehistoric man inhabited the Portlethen Moss area as evidenced by well preserved
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
stone circleA stone circle is an ancient monument of standing stones. It is not always precisely circular, often forming an ellipse, or more rarely a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle. The size and number of stones in a 'circle' varies from example to example...
s and other excavated
artifactAn artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human. In archaeology, an artifact is an object recovered by some archaeological endeavor, which may have a cultural interest. Examples include stone tools such as projectile points, pottery vessels, metal objects such as buttons or guns,...
s nearby . Obviously only the outcrops and ridge areas would have been habitable, but the desirability of primitive habitation would have been enhanced by proximity to the sea and natural defensive protection of the moss to impede intruders. From
TacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
accounts of the Roman general
AgricolaAgricola is Latin for farmer and can refer to a number of different people and things.-Romans:* Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Roman general, whose biography Agricola was written by the historian Tacitus* Julia Agricola, wife of Tacitus...
, it is known that the Romans were daunted by Portlethen Moss, Netherley Red Moss, Cookney Moss and other local bogs that hindered travel. This is also evidenced by the Roman Camp of
Raedykes.Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over 3 miles NW of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902...
having been established immediately south of this cluster of mosses; the Romans not being able to progress further north, turned inland toward
NetherleyNetherley is an area in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Belle Vale and situated near to Huyton and Tarbock.Netherley is in Liverpool City Council ward of Belle Vale...
.
The ancient
Causey MounthThe Causey Mounth is an ancient drovers' road over the coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This route was developed as the main highway between Stonehaven and Aberdeen around the 12th century AD and it continued to function as the principal route connecting these...
passage specifically connected the
Bridge of DeeThe Bridge of Dee or Brig o' Dee is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527, the bridge crosses at what was once the City of Aberdeen's southern boundary...
to the town of
StonehavenStonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland...
This route was used to access the historic meeting of the
CovenanterThe Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century. In religion the movement is most associated with the promotion and development of Presbyterianism as a form of church government favoured by the people, as opposed to Episcopacy, favoured by...
s at
Muchalls CastleMuchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well preserved double groined 13th century towerhouse structure, built by the Frasers of Muchalls. Upon this structure, the 17th century castle was begun by...
in the year 1638 AD as they opposed the Bishops of Aberdeen. The route was also that taken by the
William Keith, 7th Earl MarischalWilliam Keith, 7th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal...
and
James Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose , was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
when they led a
CovenanterThe Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century. In religion the movement is most associated with the promotion and development of Presbyterianism as a form of church government favoured by the people, as opposed to Episcopacy, favoured by...
army of 9000 men in the biggest battle of the
Bishops' WarsThe Bishops' Wars , a series of armed encounters and defiances between England and Scotland in 1639 and 1640, were part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1639.
Further to the east of Portlethen Moss lie three original
coastThe coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
villages:
FindonFindon or Finnan is a fishing village eight miles south of Aberdeen, famous for originating the smoked haddock known as Finnan haddie. The most interesting part of Findon is the moor which has a number of paths through it, many of which run along the cliffs. Deer can often be seen here...
,
PortlethenPortlethen is a town situated seven miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland along the A90. It has expanded rapidly over the last thirty years. Portlethen has a population of about seven thousand, and more than eight hundred houses are being built on nearby farmland...
Village and
DowniesDownies is a cliff-top village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland situated on Cammachmore Bay. Historically Downies was a fishing village, until much of the local North Sea fishery collapsed from overfishing; presently Downies is chiefly a residential dormitory adjunct to the city of Aberdeen.-Local area...
. In the period 1960 to 2005 the town of Portlethen has developed as a bedroom community to Aberdeen and a location of retail big box store construction.
Conservation status
The Portlethen Moss is a recognized nature preserve by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (with designation PLM076) and the Aberdeenshire Council. While
peatPeat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. Peat forms in wetlandbogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests...
cutting was conducted in prehistoric and
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
times, there has been no harvesting of peat in the modern era. There is some ongoing loss of moss habitat from
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
grazingGrazing generally describes a type of predation in which an herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
, but the most significant threat is from ongoing land development pressure; in fact, half of the Portlethen Moss has been lost to urban (low density) land development by the town of Portlethen during the period 1985 to 2005. Trampling is considered an insignificant threat due to the small animal or human presence in the existing nature reserve area; furthermore, cattle grazing, while ongoing, is deemed a much lesser current threat than
population expansion pressureOverpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. In common parlance, the term usually refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth....
. Enrichment (addition of grazing animal
manureManure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen that is trapped by bacteria in the soil...
) is not a major issue due to the low density of animals. As a net result damage to the primordial moss is considered extensive and widespread by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The raised bog habitat of the Portlethen Moss is also protected by the UK
Biodiversity Action PlanThis article is about a conservation biology topic. For other uses of BAP, see BAP .A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives...
.
Topography and meteorology
Portlethen Moss is considered a raised bog, because its general situation is on higher ground, at the edge of the
MounthThe Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
, a coastal mountain spur of the Grampian Mountains overlooking the
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
. There are rock
outcropAn outcrop is an exposure of bedrock or superficial deposits at the surface of the Earth.Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface. In most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be seen or examined closely...
s and strewn
boulderIn geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s
relictThe term relict is used to refer to surviving remnants of natural phenomena.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
from the glacial age at this site. Elevations within the Portlethen Moss range from approximately 35 to 60 meters above sea level. Formation of this moss has occurred due to extensive sets of depressions in the underlying rock formations of
Old Red SandstoneThe Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
. The entire water composition of the bog thus has been provided by
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
with no source of
surface runoffSurface runoff is the water flow which occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the hydrologic cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint...
, since the topography reduces to lower elevations in every direction. Due to the high winds, moderate precipitation and cool temperatures that generally prevail, conditions are favourable for formation of an acid bog, since water stagnates, but eventually evaporates with ensuing acidity enhancement of decaying organic matter. There was virtually no
drainageDrainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
outlet in prehistoric times, and little drainage even in modern times.
Evolution of Portlethen Moss
Many coastal mosses were initiated by the process of
glaciationA glacier is a perennial mass of ice which moves over land. A glacier forms in locations where the mass accumulation of snow and ice exceeds ablation over many years...
, which sheared rock formations to a generally level terrain, while also gouging moderate sized craters that would pond. This description fits the fundamental situation of Portlethen Moss, where sphagnum would have flourished over millennia of
evaporationEvaporation is the vaporization of a liquid and the reverse, of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid state spontaneously become gaseous . Generally, evaporation can be seen by the gradual disappearance of a liquid from a substance when exposed...
, further intensifying the soil acidity, fueled by organic matter decaying, with little drainage outlet. A layer of
sphagnumSphagnum is a genus of between 151-350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog, and sphagnum peat moss, the decaying matter underneath...
moss would have developed at the benthic level of the bog, and additional sphagnum layers floated in mats atop the bog.
At an intermediate level of evolution, thick peat layers formed from decay and carbonization of the rotting sphagnum. Generations of carex and juncus flourished, leading to further decay of these materials and eventual heightening of the organic mass. Finally, secondary vegetation took root in the spongy sphagnum mats adding greater biomass to the bog.In some cases the heavy saturated organic layers could actually rupture, spilling large volumes of mud and organic debris to surrounding fields, thus enabling a bed for further spatial expansion of the entire bog. Ultimately the colour of the moss waters became blood red in colour, from the successive organic decay and stagnation. Only in times associated with cattle grazing and significant human presence (probably the late Iron Age), would this process reverse and the bog reduce in size.
Vegetation
A wide variety of
sphagnumSphagnum is a genus of between 151-350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog, and sphagnum peat moss, the decaying matter underneath...
,
carexCarex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges . It is the most species-rich genus in the family Cyperaceae. The study of Carex is known as caricology...
,
juncusJuncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of 225 to 300 species of grassy plants commonly called rushes. They occur in all wet regions of the world, but rarely in the tropics...
and other characteristic bog species inhabit Portlethen Moss. Sometimes insectivorous plants reside in mosses, since the soils are generally nutrient poor. The heath also serves as a food source for area
roe deerThe European Roe Deer is a deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions. There is a separate species known as the Siberian Roe Deer that is found from the Ural Mountains to as far east as China and Siberia...
, while
corydalis is an attractive host for numerous
butterflyA butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day-flying so...
larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
e. Representative plant species found in this nature reserve include:
- Agrostis
Agrostis is a genus of over 100 species belonging to the grass family Poaceae.-Selected species:* Agrostis aequivalvi * Agrostis avenacea * Agrostis blasdalei...
canina, Velvet bentgrass
- Anthoxanthum odoratum
Vanilla grass, , is also known as sweet vernal grass, holy grass, or buffalo grass. It can be grown in the yard, but is popular for growth in pots inside the house, because it smells like vanilla, especially after being cut and dried.* one small plug should grow to cover per growing season* Hardy,...
- Arrhenatherum
Arrhenatherum, commonly called Oat-grass or Button-grass, is a genus with seven species and subspecies from the grass family Poaceae. It grows in Europe and the Mediterranean. Wild forms resemble Wild Oat or Fescue...
elatuis, Tall meadow oat grass
- Aulacomnium palustre
- Betula pubescens, Downy birch
- Calluna vulgaris, True heather
- Cardamine amara, Large bittercress
- Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges . It is the most species-rich genus in the family Cyperaceae. The study of Carex is known as caricology...
curta
- Carex echinata, Murray sedge
- Carex demissa
- Cirsium arvense
Cirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle...
, Creeping thistle
- Corydalis
Corydalis is a genus of about 300 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and also southern Africa...
claviculata
- Dactylis glomerata
Dactylis Glomerata is an album by doom metal band Candlemass, released in 1998. This album is the only Candlemass album that features guitarist Michael Amott of Arch Enemy and Carcass notability on lead guitar.-Track listing:# "Wiz" – 4:06...
, Cocksfoot grass
- Dactylorhiza
Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski 1937, is a genus of terrestrial plants in the orchid family .The name Dactylorhiza is derived from Greek words δάκτυλος "daktylos" and ρίζα "rhiza" , referring to the palmately two- to five-lobed tubers of this genus...
maculata
- Deschampsia
Deschampsia is a genus of wild plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. There are 30 to 40 species....
flexuosa, Tussock grass
- Dicranium scorparium
- Drosera rotundifolia
Drosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
, English sundew (insectivorousCarnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
)
- Dryopteris
Dryopteris , commonly called Wood Ferns, Male Ferns, and Buckler Ferns, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns with distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in eastern Asia. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown,...
dilatata, Broad Buckler fern
- Epilobium
Epilobium is a genus in the family Onagraceae, containing about 160-200 species of flowering plants with a world-wide distribution. They are generally abundant in the subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, whereas in the subtropics and tropics they are trestricted to the cool montane...
palustre
- Erica tetralix
Erica tetralix is a species of heather found in Atlantic areas of Europe, from southern Portugal to central Norway, as well as a number of boggy regions further from the coast in Central Europe. In bogs, wet heaths and damp coniferous woodland, Erica tetralix can become a dominant part of the flora...
, Cross leaved heath
- Eriophorum vaginatum
Eriophorum vaginatum L. is a species of perennial herbaceous plants in the family Cyperaceae, native to bogs and other acidic wetlands throughout the Holarctic Kingdom. It is a 30-60 cm high tussock-forming plant with erect solitary spikelets.-External links:* in Flora of North America*...
, Cotton grass
- Festuca ovina, Sheep's fescue
Sheep's Fescue or Sheep Fescue is a species of grass.-General Description:It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic bogs, for example in the Portlethen Moss, Scotland and mountain pasture, throughout Europe and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to eastern North...
- Hypnum cupressiforme
- Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of 225 to 300 species of grassy plants commonly called rushes. They occur in all wet regions of the world, but rarely in the tropics...
bulbosus
- Listera cordata, a rare plant
A rare species is an organism which is very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
- Potentilla
Potentilla is the genus of typical cinquefoils, containing about 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the rose family Rosaceae. They are generally Holarctic in distribution, though some may even be found in montane biomes of the New Guinea Highlands...
palustris
- Salix cinerea
- Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151-350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog, and sphagnum peat moss, the decaying matter underneath...
capillifolium
- Sphagnum squarrosum
- Ulex europaeus
- Urtica diocia, Stinging nettle
Nettle is the common name for between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution...
- Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.The casual observer may mistake the viola for the violin because of their similarity in size, closeness in pitch range , and nearly identical playing position...
palustris
Relation to other mosses
There are numerous mosses or bog habitats in Scotland, many of them situated also in Aberdeenshire, including the Cookney Moss, Leuchar Moss and Red Moss of Netherley nearby. There are also many other shires within Scotland that contain mosses such as
FifeFife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. It was originally one of the Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland.It is a...
,
AngusAngus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders onto Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Morayshire and
LanarkshireLanarkshire, officially the County of Lanark , was formerly a county of Scotland.It was bounded to the north by Stirlingshire and a detached portion of Dunbartonshire, to the northeast by Stirlingshire, West Lothian, to the east by Peeblesshire, to the southeast and south by Dumfriesshire, to the...
. Some of these are lowland bogs and others, like Portlethen Moss, are raised bogs. There are other similar acidic peat bogs in the northern part of
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and northern
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, but in those locations they are usually called "bogs".
External links