Peatland Landscape

This is a natural landscape comprising accumulated peat. Peatlands, also called moors, the place where peat forms. Peat is composed of plant remains that have been buried for thousands of years in wetlands with a cold climate. Under conditions of low temperature, little rain and lack of air, the plant remains decompose slowly to form a unique organic matter that is mostly brownish yellow or light brown. In China, peatlands are generally located in the northern territories and in a few scattered sites in the low valley depressions in the south. The thickness of the peat layer is a key parameter to identify a peatland. The main plants that form peat are peat moss, ice moss, Carex and other aquatic vegetation. Based on the burial conditions, plant species and the extent of decomposition, peatlands can be divided into low moor peat, medium moor peat and high moor peat (Fig. 13).

Fig. 13

Peatland landscape in Ireland