nwmnnaturalist
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- Cassie
Peat moss is considered an essential component in many fields, from captive animal hobbyists to gardeners to the natural sciences. It is considered an invaluable part of creating enclosed habitats for our animals and growing plants, but I've found very few people actually realize what a tremendous and potentially damaging industry peat harvesting is.
I live in Northwestern Minnesota, and near me are the massive Patterned Peatlands. It is a vast tract of peatland and peat bog systems that stretch across northern Minnesota. Similar formations can be found in northeastern Wisconsin, as well as much of Canada. Older, mostly overgrown formations can also be found in the UK and in Eurasia. Smaller peat bogs and peat forests can be found scattered around everywhere.
Peatland in Minnesota
Firstly, 'peat moss' is a general term for acidic decomposed organic matter that has accumulated in acidic bogs and has been compressed over time. The heat of decomposition and the compression of the organic matter leaves a highly compact and rich organic material. Some peat formations can be many meters deep, and can be hundreds of miles in diameter. Typical formations can be anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 years old, and a few can be much more. The Sand Lake Peatlands in Minnesota, for example, are somewhere around 8,000 years old This material is very rich in organic nutrients, an acidic pH and is very absorbent. For that reason, it's very valuable to many of us.
Cross-section of a typical peat formation...
However, to harvest this resource is a source of great controversy. I, personally, am trying to minimize my use of peat moss as much as possible, and hope to someday stop purchasing it all together. This is because I am very attached to peat bogs and forests, and I've seen first hand what happens in the harvest of this material. It is akin to the plowing of a prairie, clear-cutting of a forest, or bottom-dredging of the oceans. Hundreds if not thousands of years of natural history and organic materials (including seeds, pollen, organisms, and even human artifacts) are scraped off in layers and processed into saleable packaging. In a single 5 cubic foot package, you may have a portion of 1,000 years of life. What is left is a barren and devastated terrain.
Peat being harvested...
A large peat harvest operation in Ireland...
These peatlands CAN regenerate, but it takes quite a lot of effort and time to get a stable ecosystem in place. Ecological progress over thousands of years have effectively been scraped up, packaged and is gone forever. It would take thousands of years for this to return, and man doesn't have that kind of patience.
Peatlands contain a vast amount of biological diversity, and new species are being discovered all of the time. Consider the amount of biological diversity that is gone forever. Coir dust, sold as such brands as Coco Peat, is proving to be a sustainable alternative to peat moss and is being sold as a vivarium alternative. The sustainability will have to be proven over time, as coconut plantations may prove to be harmful too. But so far, coir dust has considerably less ecological impact than peat moss.
About peatlands - Wetlands International
The Problems With Peat - Natural Life Magazine - frugal, green family living
Garden Rant: The Real Dirt on Peat Moss
I live in Northwestern Minnesota, and near me are the massive Patterned Peatlands. It is a vast tract of peatland and peat bog systems that stretch across northern Minnesota. Similar formations can be found in northeastern Wisconsin, as well as much of Canada. Older, mostly overgrown formations can also be found in the UK and in Eurasia. Smaller peat bogs and peat forests can be found scattered around everywhere.
Peatland in Minnesota
Firstly, 'peat moss' is a general term for acidic decomposed organic matter that has accumulated in acidic bogs and has been compressed over time. The heat of decomposition and the compression of the organic matter leaves a highly compact and rich organic material. Some peat formations can be many meters deep, and can be hundreds of miles in diameter. Typical formations can be anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 years old, and a few can be much more. The Sand Lake Peatlands in Minnesota, for example, are somewhere around 8,000 years old This material is very rich in organic nutrients, an acidic pH and is very absorbent. For that reason, it's very valuable to many of us.
Cross-section of a typical peat formation...
However, to harvest this resource is a source of great controversy. I, personally, am trying to minimize my use of peat moss as much as possible, and hope to someday stop purchasing it all together. This is because I am very attached to peat bogs and forests, and I've seen first hand what happens in the harvest of this material. It is akin to the plowing of a prairie, clear-cutting of a forest, or bottom-dredging of the oceans. Hundreds if not thousands of years of natural history and organic materials (including seeds, pollen, organisms, and even human artifacts) are scraped off in layers and processed into saleable packaging. In a single 5 cubic foot package, you may have a portion of 1,000 years of life. What is left is a barren and devastated terrain.
Peat being harvested...
A large peat harvest operation in Ireland...
These peatlands CAN regenerate, but it takes quite a lot of effort and time to get a stable ecosystem in place. Ecological progress over thousands of years have effectively been scraped up, packaged and is gone forever. It would take thousands of years for this to return, and man doesn't have that kind of patience.
Peatlands contain a vast amount of biological diversity, and new species are being discovered all of the time. Consider the amount of biological diversity that is gone forever. Coir dust, sold as such brands as Coco Peat, is proving to be a sustainable alternative to peat moss and is being sold as a vivarium alternative. The sustainability will have to be proven over time, as coconut plantations may prove to be harmful too. But so far, coir dust has considerably less ecological impact than peat moss.
About peatlands - Wetlands International
The Problems With Peat - Natural Life Magazine - frugal, green family living
Garden Rant: The Real Dirt on Peat Moss