The Peat Moss Environment

Geography

• Peat is found in fens or bogs in locations such as Canada, Maine, Minnesota and Ireland. These are wetlands where the conditions are right to form peat moss.

Composition

• Peat moss forms thick layers of decomposing plant material in waterlogged areas. The bacteria present in the bogs work slowly to decompose the plants, because of the severely reduced amount of oxygen in the water.

Habitat

• Most trees found in the peat moss environment are conifers, such as spruce trees. Sphagnum moss usually covers the area and supplies the bogs with the ingredients to create peat moss. Raised areas are formed from the buildup of peat and result in trapped water.

Significance

• Peat moss tends to dry out during hot, arid summers and becomes fuel for fires. Peat bogs must burn periodically to clear the shrubs and trees from the area so that the bog does not become a forest.