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Paleoclimatology (thesaurus)

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Concept information

Preferred term

peat bog  

Definition

  • A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material - often mosses, and in a majority of cases, sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg ; alkaline mires are called fens. A baygall is another type of bog found in the forest of the Gulf Coast states in the United States. They are often covered in heath or heather shrubs rooted in the sphagnum moss and peat. The gradual accumulation of decayed plant material in a bog functions as a carbon sink. Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic and low in nutrients. In general, the low fertility and cool climate result in relatively slow plant growth, but decay is even slower due to low oxygen levels in saturated bog soils. Hence, peat accumulates. Large areas of the landscape can be covered many meters deep in peat. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bog)

Broader concept

Entry terms

  • peat land
  • peatland

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URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-C8MP2XHC-M

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