Today, peat moss is fairly popular used as soil amendment, soilless mix, seed starting, mushroom casting, etc. Peat has been harvested in … Peatlands and bogs can predominantly be found in Canada and Russia, where the majority of the world’s peat moss is extracted. dark, solid fossil fuel mined from the earth. The remains were found on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat cutters. Peat formation is influenced by moisture and temperature. 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. Dried peat burns readily with a smoky flame and a characteristic odour. Peat mosses are commonly found in bogs and wetlands of the northern hemisphere of the earth. However, peat bogs can be found from Tierra del Fuego to Indonesia. 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. The bodies of two Iron Age murder victims have been recovered from peat bogs in Ireland. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Use these materials to explore the interconnected nature of resources and their distribution. Access, or the lack thereof, contributes to a place’s economic development, political relationships, and culture. 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. Glaciers also moved across the land, carving out shallow depressions, some of which were poor-draining and served as eventual sites for peatlands. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. The pulp is cut into blocks, which are spread to dry. Also called a cutover bog. Peat moss (Sphagnum) is one of the most common constituents of peat. 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. The presence of oxygen (aerobic conditions) is necessary for fungal and microbial activity that promotes decomposition, but peat is formed in waterlogged soils with little or no access to oxygen (anaerobic conditions), largely preventing the complete decomposition of organic material. Privacy Notice |  If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. 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. Peat is an organic material formed from the incomplete decomposition of plant matter under anaerobic conditions. Maceration tends to yield more uniform shrinkage and a denser and tougher fuel. Peats may be divided into several types, including fibric, coarse hemic, hemic, fine hemic, and sapric, based on their macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical characteristics. Peat can be used in water filtration and is sometimes utilized for the treatment of urban runoff, wastewater, and septic tank effluent. Food and Agriculture Organization: Energy Use of Peat, National Geographic News: Support for Saving Peatlands Is Squishy but Solidifying, International Energy Agency: Statistics—Coal and Peat. It is also used to soften aquaria water and to mimic habitats for freshwater fish. Different regions create different types of peat, which in turn give different flavours. chemical compound that reacts with a base to form a salt. You cannot download interactives. Peat is an organic wetland soil made from part-decomposed plant debris, more commonly found in cool environments. See more. Cool climates are usually best for sphagnum and peat. Although peat production was mechanized and industrialized in…. Bogs are usually found in cool climates and often in lake basins created by ice age glaciers that … Peat is a rich, mossy earth found in the damp, fertile landscapes of Scotland and Ireland and a natural time capsule of everything that has grown, died and decomposed in the area. Peat is used for domestic heating purposes as an alternative to firewood and forms a fuel suitable for boiler firing in either briquetted or pulverized form. Find Lascelles Peat in the United States. 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