peatland
泥炭地,炭土
Definitions
- 1
- : an extensive tract of land where peat has formed.
Examples
Fires contribute directly to climate change by releasing emissions from trees as well as the rich carbon stored in soils and peatlands.
If a peatland is drained — as has occurred for many centuries to promote agriculture, especially the planting of crops — the ancient plant matter begins to decompose, and the carbon it contains joins with oxygen from the atmosphere.
It can then be used to analyze different scenarios for how frequently such developments may have occurred on peatland.
Carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for hundreds or even 1,000 years, meaning that peatland conversions from long ago, even before we began large-scale burning of fossil fuels, can still be affecting the planet.
What’s difficult is knowing when and where these historical peatland conversions occurred.