Georgia’s Coastal Plains region includes about 60% of the state. Long ago this area was part of the Atlantic Ocean and completely covered by water. A unique wetland feature of the Southeastern Coastal Plain is the Carolina Bay. Carolina Bays are oval shaped wetlands found from Maryland south to Georgia. Some support permanent lakes while others experience more irregular water levels. Carolina Bays range from 6 to 30 feet deep and from several acres to 6,000 acres in size. Due to varying water levels, the vegetation differs dramatically from one Bay to another. Some are characterized by cypress forests, others marsh and some shrub bogs. Georgia is home to more than 1,000 Carolina Bays, covering 250,000 acres.
Carolina Bays along with cypress and gum ponds are important inland wetlands that provide habitat for a wide range of plants and animals. Carolina Bays tend to have some peat development, which is a layer of partially decomposed plant matter. Several Georgia Bays have peat deposits over 14 feet deep, the end product of about 9,000 years of plant decomposition and periodically, these peat deposits catch fire and burn usually about every 25 years. This fire plays an important role in the maintenance of Carolina Bays. How?
A) The fires keep the Carolina Bay habitat from becoming overgrown with vegetation.
B) The fires in the Carolina Bays help to dissipate dangerous chemicals dissolved in the groundwater.
C) The fires in the Carolina Bay areas drive out invasive animal species that out-compete native species.
D) The fires throughout the Carolina Bays help to keep the plant species consistent throughout the states.

Peat is an organic material consisting of elements from the decomposition of plants. This material is brown in color (dark or light depending on the type) and is very rich in charcoal. Its nature depends on the environmental conditions present in its formation. It is mainly used in gardening as part of the substrate, but is also beneficial in natural environments as it promotes soil protection, organic matter supply, higher water porosity and higher soil retention. However, it is important that from time to time excess peat be removed from natural environments, otherwise peat can take over an entire space and leave a habitat overgrown. The removal of this excess peat is what explains the advantage of natural fires occurring in the Carolina Bay habitat, the advantage is that fires prevent the Carolina Bay habitat from being overgrown.