Floating Islands

We have some interesting landscapes and habitats on Lake Arrowhead. One of the habitats that I find fascinating: floating islands. These are peculiarities of nature - it's a drifting, buoyant mat of vegetation roots, mud and peat floating on the water; there is no connection to land beneath. The interconnected, horizontal nature of the vegetation's creeping stems help bind it together as one mass.

The interface of water and matted roots is one of the best places to explore, since they host a unique and diverse selection of plants. Many have an abundance of sphagnum moss as groundcover. I've found cotton grasses, bulrushes, sedges, cranberries, sheep laurel, sweet gale, leatherleaf, sundews, false foxgloves, rose pogonias, St. John's worts, pipeworts, and bladderworts - to name but a few (!) - hiding in all the rich, intricate places.

 

There might be a few stunted fibrous-rooted trees, but tap-rooted plants don't do well here. As you can see, the trees remain small.

They are sometimes called bog mats or quaking bogs. These areas provide very sheltered and safe areas for wildlife. I've seen a lot of beaver, muskrat and duck activity on these floating islands, with well worn paths and runnels through the vegetation. When I try to put my weight on it though, it slowly sinks.