Sunday, July 10, 2016

JAM POND -- LEGACY OF THE GLACIERS








JAM POND, GERMAN -- LEGACY OF THE GLACIERS

Donald A. Windsor

The most precious botanical resource in Chenango County is Jam Pond in the Town of German. This bog is a remnant of the glacier that melted here about 16,650 years ago (1). Jam Pond was formed by an iceberg mixed in with churned up glacial rubble, a so-called “kettlehole bog”. When the glacier retreated, the iceberg melted and left a deep pond. The water was nutrient poor, so bog plants moved in and remained. (2)

I visit Jam Pond every Fourth of July, or thereabouts, to check on it. Most of the plants are blooming at this date. I usually take several colleagues along. This year (2016) five of us went. In the group photo taken by Connie Tedesco are, from the left, Anne Altshuler, Loma Wilkins, Maryann Weiss, and Don Windsor.


Connie appears in the photo taken by Maryann.

We found these notable plants.

Blooming

Not blooming

Calopogon
Cotton Grass (buds forming)

Rose Pogonia
White-fringed Orchid (buds forming)

Small Cranberry
Snowberry

Large Cranberry
Bog Rosemary

Bullhead Lily
Huckleberry (berries)

Lotus Lily
Three-way Sedge

Pitcher Plant (most blooms ever!)
Round-leaved Sundew


Highbush Blueberry with Witch's Broom


Cinnamon Fern (No fertile fronds yet)

Looked for but not seen



Southern Twayblade


Dwarf Mistletoe






References cited:

1. Cadwell, Donald H. [Retreat of the glacier 16,650 years ago] In: Late Wisconsinan Deglaciation Chronology of the Chenango River Valley and Vicinity, New York. Dissertation. State University of New York, Binghamton. 1972. Page

2. Windsor, Donald A. Kettlehole bogs. In: Souvenirs of Yesteryear. Exploring Chenango County, New York. Norwich, NY: Self published. 2010 May 14. Volume 3. Pages 35-36.

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