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There is less peat in the Southern Hemisphere, in part because there is less land. The world's largest tropical peatland is located in Africa (the Democratic Republic of Congo). [ 27 ] In addition, the vast Magellanic Moorland in South America (Southern Patagonia / Tierra del Fuego ) is an extensive peat-dominated landscape. [ 26 ]
Peatlands have unusual chemistry that influences, among other things, their biota and water outflow. Peat has very high cation-exchange capacity due to its high organic matter content: cations such as Ca 2+ are preferentially adsorbed onto the peat in exchange for H + ions. Water passing through peat declines in nutrients and pH.
Tropical peat is a type of histosol that is found in tropical latitudes, including South East Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. [2] Tropical peat mostly consists of dead organic matter from trees instead of spaghnum which are commonly found in temperate peat. [ 3 ]
Lindow Moss - an ancient peat bog west of Wilmslow, Cheshire. Bog body of Lindow Man was discovered there in 1983; Matley Bog - an ancient woodland bog in the New Forest, Hampshire, England; Max Bog - a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of the village of Winscombe, North Somerset, in England
[13] [14] However, there are characteristics common to all bogs that provide a broad definition: [7] Peat is present, usually thicker than 30 centimetres (12 in). The wetland receives most of its water and nutrients from precipitation (ombrotrophic) rather than surface or groundwater (minerotrophic). The wetland is nutrient-poor (oligotrophic).
To do so, slowly water the top of the soil with a watering can or by placing it under the sink and allowing the water to settle into the soil, says Adrienne Roethling, plant expert and former ...
As the peat thickens and the dome becomes elevated, the top of the peat is no longer affected by the river or groundwater input, instead they are becoming ombrotrophic, exclusively obtaining water from the precipitation [8] [10] Input only from the rain causes a low nutrient and mineral content, especially calcium. The peat thus becomes highly ...
They are much more acidic than their rich counterparts, with a pH of approximately 5.5 to 4. [12] Peat in poor fens tends to be thicker than that of rich fens, which cuts off vegetation access to the mineral-rich soil underneath. [11] In addition, the thicker peat reduces the influence of mineral-rich groundwater that buffers the pH. [11]