湿原の植物
釧路湿原は希少な植物の生息地です。最も希少な植物のひとつとして、坊主頭のように見えるスゲの、ヤチボウズがあります。ヤチボウズは「湿地の坊主」を意味します。葉は秋に枯れて垂れ下がります。枯れた葉は気温が高いと微生物などに分解されてしまいますが、低温過湿の湿原では微生物の活動が活発ではありません。そのため多くのヤチボウズは、枯れた状態で残ります。冬には水が凍結すると植物が株ごと持ち上げられ、春には雪解け水が根元を満たして株周囲の土を洗い流します。そして枯草の間から新しい葉や茎が生育してきます。これを繰り返し、40～50cmの高さに盛り上がります。
Plants of the Marsh
Kushiro Marsh is home to an array of rare flora. One of the rarest plants is the yachibozu, which are sedges that look like a bald head, hence the name yachibozu which means “marshland monk.” In autumn, the plant’s leaves wither and droop, and while in most cases warm temperatures and microorganisms would lead to decomposition, in the marshland’s low temperatures and humidity microorganisms are not as active. Thus, on many yachibozu the leaves remain in their withered state. In winter, water freezing within the earth forces the plant roots upward, and in spring meltwater accumulates at the base of the plant, washing away the soil from around the roots. Finally, new leaves and stalks grow from among the dead grass. This process is repeated each year, causing the plant to eventually reach heights of 40–50 cm.
