Peat bogs are found throughout the world where cool temperatures and adequate rainfall prevail. Our editors will review what youâve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Variations in climate, hydrology, native species, and other factors result in the considerable variety of peatland communities found around the world. The formation of peat is the first step in the formation of coal. You cannot download interactives. Also called a cutover bog. The development of peat is favoured by warm moist climatic conditions; however, peat can develop even in cold regions such as Siberia, Canada, and Scandinavia. However, peat bogs can be found from Tierra del Fuego to Indonesia. The bog's acidity prevents this vegetation from fully decaying. She or he will best know the preferred format. His response: "Peat moss is a really cool plant that’s important to the global carbon cycle." Peatlands cover about 3% of the earth’s land mass; they are found in the temperate (Northern Europe and America) and tropical regions (South East Asia, South America, South Africa and the Caribbean) 1. type of fossil fuel made up mostly of the gas methane. Decayed, compacted moss is known as peat, which can be harvested to use for fuel or as a soil additive. See more. Lindow Man, also known as Lindow II and (in jest) as Pete Marsh, is the preserved bog body of a man discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss near Wilmslow in Cheshire, North West England. Finland, Ireland, and Scotland are the biggest consumers of peat as a fuel. Peat may be found throughout Florida. The places where peat is formed, peat bogs, are found in river valleys (floodplains and terraces) and at water divides. region and name for some countries in Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Availability. "Oh, the thing you get at Home Depot" is a common reaction Joel Kostka receives when he mentions that he studies peat moss. This is why the region that it’s from is so important. Water sources and chemistry influence the type and decomposition of vegetation in peat ecosystems like bogs and fens, from which peat is harvested. Peat moss (Sphagnum) is one of the most common constituents of peat. Peat is formed from the residues of dead plants whose aerial organs have become humified and mineralized in the aerated surface stratum of a bog (the peat-producing horizon) by soil invertebrates, bacteria, and fungi. Peat may be distinguished from lower-ranked coals on the basis of four characteristics: peats generally contain free cellulose, more than 75 percent moisture, and less than 60 percent carbon, and they can be cut with a knife. According to Xu et al. Peat is formed from the residues of dead plants whose aerial organs have become humified and mineralized in the aerated surface stratum of a bog (the peat-producing horizon) by soil invertebrates, bacteria, and fungi. Maceration tends to yield more uniform shrinkage and a denser and tougher fuel. Food and Agriculture Organization: Energy Use of Peat, National Geographic News: Support for Saving Peatlands Is Squishy but Solidifying, International Energy Agency: StatisticsâCoal and Peat. The bricks are then used as fuel, mostly for heating homes and businesses.Northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia and the British Isles, have the most peatlands harvested for fuel use. Peat can be found in moors all over the world. Canadian peatlands formed over 10,000 years ago in very moist and poorly drained low spots such as old river beds, lakes or ponds. PIC: Contributed. Also known as petroleum or crude oil. Different regions have access to different renewable or nonrenewable natural resources such as freshwater, fossil fuels, fertile soil, or timber based on their geographic location and past geologic processes. Peat soils are classified as histosols. Peat is usually hand-cut, although progress has been made in the excavation and spreading of peat by mechanical methods. layers of partially decayed organic material found in some wetlands. The peat is washed down by a high-pressure water jet, and the pulp runs to a sump. having to do with factories or mechanical production. On the other side of the spectrum, the desert southwestern region of the United States depends on the Central Arizona Project canals to transport water from the Colorado River in order to support agriculture and urban areas. Over thousands of years, layers accumulate at a rate of about 0.5 to 1 millimeter per year. Today, peat moss is fairly popular used as soil amendment, soilless mix, seed starting, mushroom casting, etc. It is also used to soften aquaria water and to mimic habitats for freshwater fish. European peatlands make up 12.5%, followed by South America (11.5%), Africa (4.4%), and Australasia and Oceania (1.6%). (2018), the majority of the worlds peatlands are situated in Asia (38.4%) and North America (31.6%, mostly Canada & Alaska). Northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia and the British Isles, have the most peatlands harvested for fuel use. https://www.britannica.com/technology/peat, National Geographic - Education - Peat: The Forgotten Fossil Fuel, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Energy Use of Peat, peatland - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), peat - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The bricks are then dried further, using heat or pressure. Sustainability Policy | It is also added to potting mixes to meet the acidity requirements of certain potted plants. Peat is also used for household cooking in some places and has been used to produce small amounts of electricity. Peatification is influenced by several factors, including the nature of the plant material deposited, the availability of nutrients to support bacterial life, the availability of oxygen, the acidity of the peat, and temperature. Acids have pH levels lower than 7. wetland of soft ground made mostly of decaying plant matter. © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society. For example, the Great Plains region of the United States is known for its abundance of fertile soil. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? In the early 21st century the top four peat producers in the world were Finland, Ireland, Belarus, and Sweden, and most of the major users of peat were these and other northern European countries. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. With increasing depth of burial and increasing temperature, peat deposits are gradually changed to lignite. Some countries in Europe – including Finland, Ireland and the UK – are contenders, but don’t operate commercial peat extraction on quite the same scale. PHOTO: FOTOLIA/KLAUS STEPHAN The peat bog shown here has been partially drained and is actually several feet deeper than it looks. Peat mosses are commonly found in bogs and wetlands of the northern hemisphere of the earth. Peatlands in Minnesota and latitudes farther n… The remains were found on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat cutters. Peat is the "forgotten fossil fuel." The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Although peat is used as a source of energy, it is not usually considered a coal. granular particles of peat scraped from the surface of a bog and mixed with other materials by special machinery. 2. Although the rate of plant growth in cold regions is very slow, the rate of decomposition of organic matter is also very slow. Dried peat burns readily with a smoky flame and a characteristic odour. Photo: Students probe bog for mammoth remains near Rawlins, Wyoming. We found 2 entries for Lascelles Peat in the United States. The peat buried the remains of the Neolithic farms - at the Ceide Fields, county Mayo, Neolithic field walls have been found under a blanket bog. Areas of harvested peatlands are called cutaway bogs for this reason. group of islands at the southern tip of South America. Virtually all rural households are now connected to the national electricity network, which relies partly on hydroelectric plants and on small and medium-sized peat-burning thermal power stations. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). With increased time and higher temperatures, these low-rank coals are gradually converted to subbituminous and bituminous coal and under certain conditions to anthracite. Canada … Although they occur throughout Michigan, bogs are more numerous in the Upper Peninsula where they are found along the margins of lakes … Privacy Notice | When dry, the blocks weigh from 0.34 to 0.91 kg (0.75 to 2 pounds). Found one of the many blanket bogs covering Scotland. Minnesota's peatlands began to form 5-6,000 years ago when the climate cooled and precipitation increased significantly. These are soils high in organic matter content. Finland, Ireland, and Scotland are the biggest consumers of peat as a fuel. Almost all of the peat moss sold in the US come from the vast sphagnum moss area in Canada. (Christian Als) Thus far, the results have proved disappointing. Like all wetlands, bogs are inhabited by marshy plants, including trees, grasses, and moss. The bodies of two Iron Age murder victims have been recovered from peat bogs in Ireland. The moss grows on top of the bog, and peat is produced underneath. Given that peat harvesting is destructive to wetland habitats, its use as a soil amendment has been discouraged by conservationists. However, peat bogs can be found from Tierra del Fuego to Indonesia. Professor Emeritus of Geological Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Terms of Service | Common in cool, wet parts of the world, bogs are waterlogged grounds that form when decaying plant matter — known as peat — accumulates in a low-lying areas. A bog is a wetland of soft, spongy ground consisting mainly of partially decayed plant matter called peat. Acids can corrode some natural materials. This partly-decayed organic material builds up in bogs. wetland bog from which peat has been removed by hand or industrial means. In horticulture, peat is used to increase the moisture-holding capacity of sandy soils and to increase the water infiltration rate of clay soils. A peat bog is a type of wetland whose soft, spongy ground is composed largely of living and decaying Sphagnum moss. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Although peat is not strictly a fossil fuel, its greenhouse gas emissions are comparable to that of fossil fuels. Some of the world’s oldest peat bogs have very dense, seemingly endless supplies of the decaying matter, though it is also available in smaller quantities on trees, rocks, and even on top of the soil in some places. Peat definition, a highly organic material found in marshy or damp regions, composed of partially decayed vegetable matter: it is cut and dried for use as fuel. This is called milled peat. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Peat has been harvested in … There, after slight maceration, it is pumped to a draining ground in a layer, which, after partial drying, is cut up and dried further. But it is also found throughout Ireland, northern England, Scandinavia, and parts of Russia and the U.S. Peat, fuel consisting of spongy material formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter, primarily plant material, in wetlands such as swamps, muskegs, bogs, fens, and moors. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The places where peat is formed, peat bogs, are found in river valleys (floodplains and terraces) and at water divides. Some wetlands result from high groundwater levels, whereas some elevated bogs are the result of heavy rainfall. 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