Peat

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/peat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the rate of peat accrual?Approximately 1 mm per year under optimal conditions
2. What is peat and how does it form?Peat is a squishy, spongy material made from old plants that slowly build up in wetland soils called peatlands. In these waterlogged, low‑oxygen places, plant material doesn’t fully break down, so it piles up over time.
3. Why is Sphagnum moss so important for peat?Sphagnum moss makes the soil acidic and low in nutrients, which slows down decomposition. This lets the moss grow a lot and helps more peat to accumulate.

Anoxic conditions: Environments characterized by a severe lack of dissolved oxygen, hindering decomposition processes.
Paleoclimatology: The scientific study of past climates, often using natural archives like peat.
Carbon sequestration: The process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in natural reservoirs.
Histosols: A soil order characterized by a thick accumulation of organic material, commonly referred to as peat.