Tīrspurvs (Dunika) Bog

Bog footbridges in the Nature Reserve “Dunika” stretches in the length of 6 kilometres crossing Tīrspurvs Bog. This bog is an amazing place for leisure and meditative walk in silence.
 
Tīrspurvs Bog is a raised bog. This type of bog has its name owing to its dome shape forming with the bog's development. The dome is made of sphagnum that grows faster in the central part of the bog, as well as it deposits more water since edges of the bog allow more rapid flowing away of water to the surrounding territories. Currently the peat layer in the bog's central part has reached at least 7 m, which means that it had started to form at least 7,000 years ago as the peat layer in raised bogs in a year increases for about one centimetre. Small crinkled pine-trees that can be seen in the bog actually are several hundreds of years old. They are so small because of lack of nutrients.

The hardiest travellers who feel strong enough to cross the entire bog will have a surprise at the end of the path — Lukna hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) stand. Currently it is the only pure stand in Latvia. Its age is almost a half of the century, and it makes you feel as if you have travelled to broad-leaved forests in the Central Europe.
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