Mshara is one of the names of sphagnum bogs. These amazing water lands have long attracted the attention of scientists. After all, their ecosystem is different from the one that reigns in our familiar world. In addition, Mshara swamps are a unique source of fossil organisms, thanks to which it is possible to restore lost fragments of the history of the planet.
Meaning of the word
It is difficult to say exactly when people began to apply this word to sphagnum bogs. It is only known for certain that “mshara” is a word that originated in the north of Russia. Based on its lexical meaning, it is easy to guess that it denotes a terrain covered by a layer of moss.
The structure of sphagnum bogs
Sphagnum bog, or mshara, is a water area covered with a large amount of sphagnum moss. This faded green plant captures almost the entire surface of the water, forming a kind of crust. Because of this, an acidic, poor composition environment is obtained in which only the most resistant organisms are able to survive.
In addition to moss, plants such as sedge, cranberries, cloudberries, cotton grass and sundew grow on sphagnum bogs. However, a lack of nutrients leads to the fact that most herbs experience severe discomfort. They are behind in their growth, due to which many die before they can give young shoots.
The historical value of sphagnum bogs
Mshara is a swamp with a unique ecosystem. An acidic environment kills most bacteria and microorganisms. Due to this, objects and plants that have fallen into the water do not decompose for hundreds or even thousands of years. Instead, they form a hard bottom layer, which subsequently becomes peat.
By exploring these deposits, scientists can learn a lot about the region. For example, what climate was here before or what animals and plants lived in these parts. Later, all this information will form the basis of the historical map of the area, which in itself is a great discovery.