peatlands

Waterlogged carbon stores

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems where waterlogged conditions slow decomposition, allowing dead plant material to accumulate as peat over thousands of years.

They include bogs, fens, and mires.

Peatlands store vast amounts of carbon—more than all the world's forests combined—making their preservation critical to climate regulation: Draining peatlands for agriculture releases centuries of stored carbon.

ecosystem

bogs

Soft, wet terrain

fensMarshy, low-lying wetlands
miresSoggy, boggy ground areas
marshesWaterlogged land with grasses

sphagnum · mosses · biodiversity · habitat · waterfowl · amphibians · carnivorous plants · sundews · pitcher plants · heathland

extraction

turf

Grass-covered earth surface

fuelEnergy source material
harvestingGathering mature crops
horticultureCultivating plants systematically

compost · gardening · potting soil · whisky · Scotch · distilleries · smokiness · Ireland · Scotland · briquettes

conservation

restoration

Returning something to condition

rewettingMaking damp again
protectionGuarding against harm
drainageLiquid removal system

degradation · rewilding · preservation · Ramsar Convention · endangered · threatened · afforestation · agriculture · sustainable management · nature reserves

carbon

carbon sink

CO2 storage reservoir

sequestrationAct of setting apart
climate regulationManaging global temperature systems
greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat

methane · emissions · carbon storage · global warming · climate change · mitigation · decomposition · organic matter · carbon dioxide · atmospheric carbon

archaeology

preservation

Maintaining something's condition

bog bodiesWetland-preserved ancient corpses
artifactsHuman-made historical objects
waterloggedSaturated with liquid

anaerobic · ancient remains · paleoclimate · stratigraphy · dating · Bronze Age · Iron Age · excavation · forensic · mummification

geography

tundra

Frigid treeless biome

borealOf northern regions
tropicalOf hot, humid regions
temperateMild, avoiding extremes

Arctic · subarctic · Southeast Asia · Congo Basin · Patagonia · Siberia · Canadian · British Isles · Scandinavian · lowland

Categories

ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
natural areasnature reserve, nature reserves, wilderness areas, wildlife refuge, national park
wetlandsswamp, swamps, marsh, marshes, marshland
Tropical RegionsAmazon rainforest, Borneo, Congo Basin, Indonesia, Brazil
hydrologyrivers, streamflow, aquifers, aquifer, lakes
Canadian ecosystemsboreal forest, taiga, tundra, prairies, Canadian Shield

Opposites

ecosystem water saturation

peatlandsdeserts

Abandons or barren lands

arid lands · drylands · sand dunes · steppes · scrublands

organic matter accumulation

peatlandssandy soils

Ground dominated by coarse particles

rocky terrain · bare rock · gravel beds

carbon function

peatlandsindustrial zones

Areas designated for manufacturing

Family

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