Table of Contents
What is peat extraction?
Commercial peat extraction occurs mainly on raised bogs to provide peat for gardening. The mechanised peat removal has a major ecological impact, stripping away the living layer and subsequently exposing large quantities of peat to oxidation and loss of carbon.
Is peat economically sustainable?
Peatlands provide a direct ecological use value (e.g. bird watching, nature appreciation). Peatlands have a particular value in terms of species that are rare in a European context. The ecology is therefore critical to the sustainability of peatlands and, consequently, to all the other ecosystem services it provides.
How is peat economically useful?
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. Peat is also used for household cooking in some places and has been used to produce small amounts of electricity.
What is peat and why is it important?
It acts as a carbon store, it is a great habitat for wildlife, it has a role in water management, and preserves things well for archaeology. Peat is of great importance to our planet: as a carbon store – peat holds more carbon than the combined forests of Britain, France and Germany.
What is soil peat?
Peat is the surface organic layer of a soil that consists of partially decomposed organic matter, derived mostly from plant material, which has accumulated under conditions of waterlogging, oxygen deficiency, high acidity and nutrient deficiency. New types of peat may still be found.
What is another name for peat?
What is another word for peat?
| bog | marsh |
|---|---|
| swamp | fen |
| marshland | mire |
| morass | slough |
| moss | quagmire |
Why is peat harmful to the environment?
Normally plants decompose into carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Because peat is formed in the watery environment of an oxygen-free bog it decomposes into carbon. It immediately starts emitting greenhouse gases. After mining, the remaining peat continues to release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.
How is peat harvested?
Traditional peat harvesting involves a farmer or laborer manually cutting thick strips of peat with a large, sharp hoe. (Today, industrial peat harvesting involves huge tractors that scrape peat from the surface of bogs. This scraped peat is then collected into bricks. This is called milled peat.)
Why is peat an issue?
The carbon in peat, when spread on a field or garden, quickly turns into carbon dioxide, adding to greenhouse gas levels. 3. The unique biodiversity of peat bogs is lost. Rare birds, butterflies, dragonflies and plants disappear.
What is called peat?
Peat (/piːt/), also known as turf (/tɜːrf/), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. Sphagnum moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most common components in peat, although many other plants can contribute.
What is peat short answer?
Answer: Peat is a brown, soil-like material characteristic of boggy, acid ground, consisting of partly decomposed vegetable matter. It is widely cut and dried for use in gardening and as fuel.
What is the difference between energy peat and horticultural peat?
Peat moss allows plants to grow in aerated and well-structured soil cheap designer frames, guaranteeing healthy, vigorous plants. As with energy peat, horticultural peat extraction requires drainage of the peatland to accommodate machinery and facilitate drying of peat prior to extraction.
Which countries use the most peat?
The volume used annually is about half that of fuel peat. Germany and Canada account for over half of horticultural peat extraction. Other important peat production countries are the Baltic states, Finland, Ireland and Sweden but also Chile and Argentina. Peat has been an important local or regional energy source in Finland, Ireland and Sweden.
What is a responsible approach to managing peatland and peat?
A responsible approach to managing peatland and peat considers its effect on people and ecosystem services, and balances environmental, social and economic functions. The intention of certification is to ensure that peatland will be used, managed and restored in a responsible way. Currently there are two schemes in use, RPP and Veriflora.
How is peat formed in temperate regions?
In temperate, boreal and sub-arctic regions, where low temperatures (below freezing for long periods during the winter) reduce the rate of decomposition, peat is formed mainly from bryophytes (mostly sphagnum mosses), herbs, shrubs and small trees.