Peatland as resourceful.
Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
Consequently, the production of organic matter exceeds its decomposition, which results in a net accumulation of peat.
In cool climates, peatland vegetation is mostly made up of Sphagnum mosses, sedges and shrubs and are the primary builder of peat, whereas in warmer climates graminoids and woody vegetation provide most of the organic matter.
Due to the process of peat accumulation, peatlands are carbon rich ecosystems that store and sequester more carbon than any other type of terrestrial ecosystem, exceeding thereby even the global above-ground carbon stock of forest ecosystems.
When peatlands are drained, the carbon from organic matter contained in peat dries and oxidizes gradually to CO2, and is permanently lost from the system. Over time, this process also results in soil compaction and subsidence, making it difficult to restore proper hydrology without water table management.
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