Muskeg

Muskeg is a peat-forming ecosystem found in several northern climates, most commonly in Arctic and boreal areas, and is approximately synonymous with bog or peatland; the term is standard usage in Canada and Alaska, drawn from the Cree maskek, meaning low-lying marsh. It consists of organic material in varying states of decomposition as peat, ranging from largely intact sphagnum moss to sedge peat to highly decomposed humus, with wood making up five to fifteen percent of the peat soil; the water table sits near the surface, and the sphagnum moss that forms muskeg can hold fifteen to thirty times its own weight in water, letting the spongy, waterlogged ground form even on sloping terrain. Muskeg patches serve as habitat for beavers, pitcher plants, agaric mushrooms and a range of other organisms.