How is peat made

A lack of oxygen means the plants do not rot completely. The Flow Country in the far north of Scotland is believed to be the largest area of blanket bog in the world, extending to 1, sq miles 4, sq km. The Flow Country's peatlands have benefited from the growth of sphagnum moss and cotton grasses since the last Ice Age, more than 10, years ago.

Forsinard, an RSPB Scotland reserve in the Flow Country, provides habitat for a range of wildlife such as common scoter ducks, red and roe deer and otters. In Scotland, soils such as peat store more than 3, megatonnes of carbon which is an asset for the environment, according to Scottish Natural Heritage SNH.

The physical, chemical and biological differences between organic soils are due to the climatic, topographic, hydrological, geological and botanical properties of the environment in which they occur [ 6 , 7 ]. Organic soils are distinguished by Soil Taxonomy as the Order of Histosols. Generally, Histosols has an organic matter more than half of the upper 80 cm [ 8 ]. Organic soils are commonly named mucks and peats.

Depending on the usage purposes, peat can be characterized in numerous ways. Assessing of peat materials for different purposes requires emphasis on distinctive characteristics. The most relevant characteristics of peats for many disciplines are listed in Table 1 [ 5 ]. The most relevant chemical and physical characteristics of peats [ 5 ]. The physical and chemical properties of the peats show a wide variation. The chemical properties of peat differ extensively and within particularized bonds owing to the chemical reactions as part of its formation.

However, it is currently fulfilled that the fundamental properties of peats help to sorption and ion exchange. A comparison of some chemical properties of loamy textured mineral soils and various peats is given in Table 2. Some physical characteristics of peat types and a comparison of cation exchange capacity CEC of mineral and various organic soils [ 9 ].

The characteristic of microbial composition of the peat production is a well-documented difficulty for incessant large-scale processing. Peats are chemically organic material, which leaves diminutive ash after it burned. Peat may be characterized by their ash content and acidity. High-moor sphagnum peats are simply marginally decomposed with high polysaccharide content and comparatively high O 2 , and lower C and H concentrations in comparison to low-moor peats [ 3 ]. The peat is originated to have proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and polyphenols such as lignin whereas, nucleic acids, pigments, alkaloids, vitamins and other organic materials are existing in small amounts, along with inorganic materials [ 3 ].

Various B vitamins were found in peat [ 10 ]. Currently, the chemical and physical properties of peat have created significant environmental concerns. Number of studies has been appointed to full-scale plant operations and hence made significant production capacity of active carbon potentially by peat pyrolysis and peat coke production [ 3 ]. Pyrolysis alters peat from a material including H and O 2 with a very high carbon concentration. Peat coke might be utilized like decolorizing and de-odorizing agent and a filter medium [ 3 ].

Activated carbons are arranged in different grades from peat. Diverse properties are necessary for different responsibilities such as water purification, the removal of organics from starch, sugars and color and gas and vapor adsorption. Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that affect the balance of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide CO 2 , methane CH 4 and nitrous oxide N 2 O on a global scale.

Peatlands are formed by the limited decomposition and accumulation of plant material in previous geological periods. The hydrosere may be initiated in waters of any trophic status from oligotrophic to eutrophic followed by infilling of the water body by sediments of either external allochthonous or internal autochthonous origin.

Hydroseral succession may also commence in response to excessively high rainfall on landscapes of mineral soil or rock.

The processes involved in hydroseral succession can be maintained under two distinctly different water supply regimes, namely, geogenous or ground water, which is enriched with dissolved nutrients and ombrogenous water from aerial precipitation. The terms ombrotrophic and rheotrophic are used to differentiate between mires formed under the influence of either geogenous or topogenous waters.

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