|
|
Article: Peat Bogs
- Article from:
- Plant Sciences
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Peat Bogs
A peat bog is a type of wetland whose soft, spongy ground is composed largely of living and decaying
Sphagnum
moss. Decayed, compacted moss is known as peat, which can be harvested to use for fuel or as a soil additive.
Peat bogs are found throughout the world where cool temperatures and adequate rainfall prevail. Estimates indicate that peatlands (bogs and fens) cover as much as 5 percent of the land surface, primarily in northern temperate and arctic regions. Canada contains approximately 130 million hectares of bogs, while the United States has approximately 7 million hectares.
Bogs are not just any type of wetland, and they require a particular sequence of events in order ...