Peat bog
A wet habitat where dead plants build up slowly and store carbon for thousands of years.
Last updated
Analogy
A bank vault for carbon.
In practice
Draining peat bogs for compost releases carbon dioxide and destroys a habitat.
Practice
Flashcards
- Why are peat bogs important?They store carbon and are habitats for rare species.
Questions people ask
Why should peat bogs be protected?
Peat takes thousands of years to form, so it is effectively non-renewable. When bogs are drained and the peat is dug up or burned, the stored carbon is released as carbon dioxide, adding to global warming. They are also homes to rare plants and insects. Many gardeners now use peat-free compost.
How does peat form?
In a waterlogged bog there is little oxygen, so decomposers cannot break down dead plants fully. The partly rotted plant material builds up very slowly, around a millimetre a year, and is squashed into peat. Over thousands of years, it forms thick deposits that store a lot of carbon.