The Biology of Peatlands

Peatlands form intriguing landscape elements in large parts of the world and play important roles for biodiversity and for the atmospheric carbon balance. The Biology of Peatlands begins with an overview of the main peatland types (marsh, swamp, fen, and bog), which provides the basis for a deeper understanding of the diversity of the entire range of biota present (microbes, invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates), together with their specific adaptations to peatland habitats. Detailed coverage is devoted to the moss genus Sphagnum, the most important functional plant group in northern peatlands. Throughout the book, the interactions between organisms and environmental conditions (especially wetness, availability of oxygen, and pH) are stressed, and key factors and processes including hydrology, nutrient cycling, light, and temperature are dealt with. Peatlands are archives of past vegetation and climate, and the authors describe the intriguing patterns and landforms characteristic of peatlands in different parts of the world, together with theories on how they have developed over centuries and millennia. The role of peatlands as sources or sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane, and their influence on climatic change, are also outlined. A final chapter considers peatland management, conservation, and restoration. The text is suitable for students and researchers of peatlands as well as the professional ecologists and conservation biologists.