Kate Dwire
Rocky Mountain Research Station
One of my favorite science experiences has been exploring fens in the Rocky Mountains. Fens are special wetlands that have developed over thousands of years through the accumulation of peat (organic soils). They are usually water saturated, so organic matter from wetland vegetation does not decompose but is transformed into peat over time.
In this photo, I am using an auger to core a soil sample to determine the depth of peat in a side-slope fen in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Fens are ancient wetland ecosystems, can support unusual, rare plants, and may be particularity vulnerable to changing climate. From these peat cores, I can learn about the types of plants that formed the peat and gain insights into the age of the fen and how it formed.
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