Peats may be divided into several types, including fibric, coarse hemic, hemic, fine hemic, and sapric, based on their macroscopic, microscopic, and chemical characteristics. With increased time and higher temperatures, these low-rank coals are gradually converted to subbituminous and bituminous coal and under certain conditions to anthracite. With increasing depth of burial and increasing temperature, peat deposits are gradually changed to lignite. The formation of peat is the first step in the formation of coal. The formation of abundant peat was not possible before land plants spread widely during and after the Devonian Period (beginning approximately 419.2 million years ago). 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. Plant material decomposes more rapidly in groundwater rich in nutrients than in elevated bogs with heavy rainfall. Although the rate of plant growth in cold regions is very slow, the rate of decomposition of organic matter is also very slow. Some wetlands result from high groundwater levels, whereas some elevated bogs are the result of heavy rainfall. 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 moss ( Sphagnum) is one of the most common constituents of peat. Peat harvesting and land-use changes that damage peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and in the 21st century the use of peat increasingly has been discouraged in an attempt to protect these valuable ecosystems. Peatlands also help minimize flood risks and filter water, both of which are invaluable ecosystem services. Peat is thus critical for preventing and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic global warming. ![]() The peat formed and housed in these special ecosystems is the largest natural terrestrial carbon store, and it sequesters more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. ![]() The wetlands in which peat forms are known as peatlands. Beyond its considerable ecological importance, peat is economically important as a carbon sink, as a source of fuel, and as raw material in horticulture and other industries. 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. Peat, spongy material formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter, primarily plant material, in wetlands such as swamps, muskegs, bogs, fens, and moors.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |