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A peat bog is more than just a good setting for a gothic novel. We can thank peat bogs for literally fueling the world’s economy. And peat is a major influence on global atmospheric conditions. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
“Peat is a generic term for undecomposed plant matter.”
Larry Smith is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at UCLA.
“Any time you have a plant that grows, and goes through its life cycle, and it dies, it doesn’t fully rot away – it becomes stored in the ground in the form of peat. Ultimately, over time it gets buried and this is what leads to the formation of coal and oil and fossil fuels. So, peat is freshly-made carbon material, that accumulates at the surface of the Earth.”
“Peat bogs, or peatlands, as they’re more commonly called, can be found in many environments. Small peatlands can be found in California; peatlands are found in the tropics. They’re particularly prone to developing anywhere where the conditions are such that you have more plant productivity and growth than you do decomposition of the plants after they die. Beyond that, really the only conditions you need, are to have the right climatic conditions such that the plants won’t be able to decompose fully from year to year. If you have wet conditions, cool conditions, or very rapid plant growth, all of these can combine to cause the accumulation of peat over time.”
Some of the most favorable conditions for peat bogs are found in cooler northern latitudes, such the northern US, Canada and Siberia. Well, recently, scientists have determined that for thousands of years, peatlands have played a crucial role in governing the balance of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. We’ll hear more about that in future programs.
Pulse of the Planet is made possible by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.
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