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Great Heath

T18 MD BPP

Vital Statistics

Size: 5,681 acres
Regulated: 0 acres
Non-Regulated: 5,681 acres
Upland: 1,156 acres
Forested Wetland (NWI): 1,075 acres
Non-Forested Wetland: 3,439 acres
Open Water: 20 acres
Roads: trails-4 miles
Biophysical Region: Eastern Interior
BPL Region: East

Map showing location of Great Heath Ecoreserve

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Exemplary Natural Communities

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Also see the Natural Community Fact Sheet page.

Scientific Name	Common Name	State Rank	Global Rank
Domed Bog Ecosystem	Domed Bog Ecosystem	S3	GNR
Sheep Laurel - Dwarf Shrub Bog	Dwarf Shrub Bog	S4	G5
Huckleberry - Crowberry Bog	Maritime Huckleberry Bog	S3	G3G5
Bluejoint Meadow	Tall Grass Meadow	S3	G4G5

Photo: Image of Dragon's Mouth Orchid and Huckleberry in flower

Rare Plants

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See the Rare Plant Fact Sheet list for more information about individual species.

Scientific Name	Common Name	State Rank	Global Rank	State Status
Galium labradoricum	Bog bedstraw	S2	G5	SC
Oryzopsis canadensis	Canada Mountain-ricegrass	S2	G5	SC
Polemonium vanbruntiae	Jacobs ladder	S1	G3G4	E

Rare Animals

There are no documented occurrences of rare animals within this Ecoreserve.

For more information on rare animals in Maine, visit the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Description

At over 7,000 acres, the Great Heath is the largest peatland in the Downeast region, and it is one of the largest multiple-unit peatlands in all of Maine. It extends on both sides of the Pleasant River as it meanders through the confluence of the Taylor and Ingersoll branches in Columbia and T18 MD BPP. The Great Heath has been studied by several researchers, most notably Davis and Anderson in 1982.

Huge and diverse, this multiple-unit peatland is noteworthy for its variety of peatland types. It encompasses an unpatterned stream drainage fen, an unpatterned open basin fen, and a level bog. Morphologically, the peatland is composed of seven coalesced areas, each consisting of two or more raised units. Some of these raised units are visibly domed and exhibit concentric patterns. There are also scattered secondary pools.

The large raised portion is intermediate between coastal plateau bogs and inland raised bogs. Plants characteristic of coastal peatlands include lichen lawns, deer-hair sedge (Trichophorum cespitosum) communities, abundant black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa var. bigeloviana), as well as scattered dragon's mouth (Arethusa bulbosa) and baked appleberry (Rubus chamaemorus).

The geologic features surrounding the peatland complex are also outstanding. The west side of the peatland is bordered by an esker. The Pineo Ridge, a terminal moraine of a late-glacial origin, borders the south side of the peatland and grades into a glaciomarine delta. These glacial features likely played a role in the peatland's formation.