Hi Georgis, although it seems like a small amount of peat for horticultural use, the impact is not necessarily the peat production, but the loss of habitat, and carbon sequestration. Again it doesn't look like much. But harvesting destroys thousands of years of peat accumulation, and continuous harvesting is very detrimental to the species depending on these unique habitats- both plant and animal. The bog system won't recover like other habitats. In addition, Robin mentions that peat holds carbon. Peat areas cover only about 3% of earth's land mass, but holds THIRTY percent of earth's carbon. Something to think about as climate change is definitely real.
Thanks, Robin, for an excellent article.
Hi Georgis, although it seems like a small amount of peat for horticultural use, the impact is not necessarily the peat production, but the loss of habitat, and carbon sequestration. Again it doesn't look like much. But harvesting destroys thousands of years of peat accumulation, and continuous harvesting is very detrimental to the species depending on these unique habitats- both plant and animal. The bog system won't recover like other habitats. In addition, Robin mentions that peat holds carbon. Peat areas cover only about 3% of earth's land mass, but holds THIRTY percent of earth's carbon. Something to think about as climate change is definitely real.
Thanks, Robin, for an excellent article.