The Čepkeliai Marsh () is the largest

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

mire A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...

) in

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. Located in

Varėna District Municipality Varėna () is a city in Dzūkija, southern Lithuania. It is the capital of the Varėna district municipality, district of Varėna. Currently, there are 7,794 residents. The Varėna district is the largest and most forested Municipalities of Lithu ...

, south of Marcinkonys village and north of Kotra River, which flows along the

Belarus–Lithuania border The Belarus–Lithuania border is an international border almost in length between the Republic of Belarus (Member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS member) and the Republic of Lithuania (Member state of the European Union, ...

in this area. Its area is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

and a

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

(Čepkēliai Reserve), with its administration in Marcinkonys, and part of the cross-border wetlands of international importance: Kotra-Cepkeliai Transboundary Ramsar Site established in 2010. It consists of the Kotra Ramsar site in Belarus (designated in 2002) and the Čepkeliai Mire Ramsar site in Lithuania (designated in 1993). In 2011 the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve together with

Dzūkija National Park __NOTOC__ Dzūkija National Park is a national park in Dzūkija, Lithuania, located 100 kilometers southwest from the capital, Vilnius, and 100 kilometers south from Kaunas. It was established on April 23, 1991 by the Supreme Court of the Republic ...

were certified as

PAN parks The PAN Parks Foundation was a non-governmental organisation that aimed to protect Europe's wildernesses. The foundation filed for bankruptcy in May 2014 in The Netherlands, but was denied the status by the court and is currently in liquidation. ...

. The bog itself covers an area of , while the larger area of which also includes some neighboring sections of the Dainava Forest is declared as the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve. It was created in 1975, and is protected since 1960 (initially as a botanical-zoological sanctuary). It is also part of

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

, the European ecological network.

Nature

Most of Čepkeliai is a

raised bog Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation (ombro ...

while there are some smaller areas of a

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetland along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires ...

and flooded forests. There are 21 small bog lakes in the area, some of them are

Glacial Age A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

relicts, remnants of larger lakes that have been swamped. The largest of them is the . A

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

stratum is of 5–6 meters of thickness. It grows a lot of cranberries, wild rosemaries, heather. The reserve is a sanctuary for cranes,

white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle', is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also ...

black grouse The black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, is a large Aves, bird in the grouse family. It is a Bird migration, sedentary species, spanning across the Palearctic in m ...

s, heather cocks,

mountain hare The mountain hare (''Lepus timidus''), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a species of Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. Evolution ...

martens A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family (biology), family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark bro ...

, smooth snakes.

Visiting

The Čepkeliai Marsh is closed for visiting, except from the observation tower and an educational trail by the edge of the marsh south to Marcinkonys village. The track was closed since June 2021. Cranberry and mushroom picking is allowed for 10 days in early September for residents of the nearby villages with a permit, for personal use only.

Etymology

The name ''Čepkeliai'' comes from a personal name , i. e. '' Čepkáuskas, Čepkẽvičius'', , , which is a form of name ''Szczepan''. As at the beginning of 20th century, this name was used only for small western part of the bog. The main part was called ("Russian woodland") in Slavic maps. Local Lithuanian name for this swampy and forested region was ''Gudo Šalis'' ("The Land of Gud").

Gallery

Čepkelių viržynė.JPG, A

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

in Čepkeliai Čepkeliai, gailiai.JPG, Wild rosemaries Čepkeliai. Pušų retmiškis.JPG, Pine forest by the edge of the raised bog Spanguolės ir saulašarės Čepkeliuose.JPG, Cranberries and sundews on

peat moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

Čepkeliai Observation Tower, 2016.jpg , Observation tower Balno (Šėkinio) ežeras.JPG, Balnas lake in the territory of Čepkeliai Marsh

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cepkeliai Marsh Wetlands of Lithuania Ramsar sites in Lithuania Varėna District Municipality