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Why is peat dried after being cut from the bog?

Peat is used as a fuel but it comes from the wet environment of a bog. It helps if a fuel that you are trying to burn is not wet.


Why is peat moss renewable?

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.


Why do people who sell peat want peat to be dug up?

People who sell peat want it to be dug up because it is a valuable natural resource that can be sold for profit. Peat is used for garden soil, horticulture, and fuel, making it a desirable product for commercial purposes.


Is peat a type of fossil fuel?

No, it is not a fossil. It is however the first stage of producing a fossil fuel. Peat is thick vegetation that has died and built up in layers in a wet environment which doesn't decay normally (aerobic decay) because of a lack of oxygen in the layers. Anaerobic decay, or a very slow process of composting, occurs in a peat bog which eventually becomes a coal deposit, over hundreds of thousands or millions of years. Instead of creating carbon dioxide, like aerobic bacteria, and fungi produce in normal decay, Anaerobic bacteria produce methane gas as they break down the peat. This produces lignite or brown coal, which as it ages and the lignite compacts eventually, giving up moisture and nitrogen, become progressively harder and darker coals.


Why do people dig up peat?

People dig up peat because it is a valuable natural resource that can be used as fuel or in gardening. Peat is rich in organic matter and retains moisture well, making it useful for applications like horticulture and soil improvement. However, peat extraction can have negative environmental impacts on ecosystems and contributes to carbon emissions when harvested unsustainably.