Pinhook Bog nutrient-poor. The outstanding feature of Pinhook Bog is the tree-covered mat of sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss is a stringy, delicate moss of a light-green color. The mat floats on top of the water and can become thick, yet it can have a pocket only a few inches thick in the middle. As the mat thickens, larger and larger plants take root and grow. Under the mat a peat bed develops. The acidic water slows the decay of the sphagnum moss and other plants. With time, the peat may fill the bog from the mat to the bottom. As the moisture
Sphagnum fuscum a short stalk of around 1-2mm, with a brown capsule of about 1-1.5mm. "Sphagnum fuscum" prefers older, drier bogs to inhabit and will formulate hummocks in such conditions. In bogs dominated by black spruce, "S. fuscum" will form extensive ground cover. On average, "S. fuscum" inhabits more acidic soils with pH ranging from 3.6-7.5, and is also able to colonize at high elevations. The moss is circumpolar. "Sphagnum fuscum" faces endangerment across much of the globe. Due to reductions in wetlands and development of these areas, the moss is referred to as “high risk” in Germany, while being on several