Why is peat moss renewable?

Answer 1

First of all it is very easy to get confused with the terms peat and peat moss. They are actually two different entities both found in peat bogs.

Peat is the sediment found at the bottom of peat bogs that is mined and burned like a fossil fuel (peat is actually a precursor of coal). Like coal it is considered to be a non-renewable fuel source since it takes so long to accrete (a rate of 1mm per year).

Peat moss, on the other hand, is a living plant (such as Sphagnum) that lives at the top of a peat bog. Peat Moss is what is harvested and used to make the soil products you will find at plant stores. It eventually dies and adds to the layers of peat underneath. Unlike peat, peat moss is a renewable resource as much as timber is a renewable resource. When peat moss is harvested from the top of a peat bog, it can take as long as 20 years to grow back to its former size. Because of that peat moss is harvested on a slow cycle similar to forest management cycles and is done leaving the underlying peat undisturbed.

Although peat and peat moss are found in the same bogs, they are not normally harvested and mined together. This is because peat is harvested and used as a fuel source in places such as far northern Europe where trees (and wood for burning) is scarce. On the other hand Canada is the primary supplier of peat moss. It has a large boreal forest and no consumer demand for peat as a fuel source.

Answer 2

Peat moss is renewable because it is derived from the decomposition of organic matter in peat bogs. Peat bogs form over thousands of years through the accumulation of dead plant material, making the source of peat moss continually replenished through natural processes. When harvested sustainably, peat moss can regrow over time, making it a renewable resource.