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Outcrop 9:
Peat Formation
THE POESTENKILL COMMUNITY FOREST BOGS are very recent in terms of geologic time, but have potential to be important far into the future. When the plants in wetlands die, they will be decomposed by bacteria, releasing carbon dioxide. From there, the material will be buried and decomposed further by anaerobic bacteria, which are decomposers that don’t require oxygen to change the matter and that release methane. Over thousands of years, the remaining material turns into peat, which is partially decayed plant matter.
Bog in the Poestenkill Community Forest
Photo: Jeff Briggs
Beyond this sign is an area of bog you can visit. It it spongy with moss and saturated with water. Be prepared for wet feet! Once you have visited the bog, return to this spot the same way you went in. From there, to continue on the trail, you will need to backtrack down the hill a bit. Look for where the Geology Trail turns to the right to follow the blue-blazed Big Beaver Bog trail.
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