Carmarthenshire Peat Bogs Geography

Describe the above image.

Why are they important and how can we protect them? Aims What are peat bogs? Why are they important and how can we protect them?

What are peat bogs? Peat bogs can form in rain fed hollows or dips in the ground which have poor drainage, and which hold water. Where the water is acid, and/or where conditions are anaerobic, this prevents the more usual decay of the vegetation resulting in the formation of peat. This can take place over thousands of years.  Keywords Fen: a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land. Peat: a brown material made up of partly decomposed vegetation forming a layer on acidic, boggy, ground. Silt: fine sand or clay carried by running water which settles at the bottom of water.

Peat: a brown material made up of partly decomposed vegetation forming a layer on acidic, boggy, ground. Peat takes thousands of years to form. Some gardeners use peat moss to balance the pH level in soil. It has an acid pH, so it will help acid loving plants like tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries grow.

Questions Why do gardeners like using peat? Why is using peat such a bad thing? What are suitable alternatives to using peat for gardening?

Why is using peat a bad thing? Peat is also used burnt as a fuel – Burning peat releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide causes global warming. Peat cutting destroys habitats removing peat which has taken thousands of years to form. The removal of the peat bogs destroys plant and animal life living within the peat bog habitat, threatening biodiversity. Peat bogs contain a timeline of vegetation over thousands of years. They are like a time capsule of organic matter which would usually rot and be lost. They also contain evidence of burning and heavy metals from the air which can include volcanic eruptions and industrial pollution.

What other dangers do peat bogs face apart from peat cutting? Afforestation Trees being planted in the area can badly damage a peat bog. Farming Converting peat bogs to farmland by draining and fertilizing the land. Burning Every year peat bogs are deliberately burned, often in an attempt to improve the quality of grazing, or control vegetation growth. Drainage Peat bogs drained of water deliberately so the land can be used for another purpose. Discuss in groups.

As scientific studies progress we could unlock further important information from our past which is hidden in the peat bogs. Destroying them removes a link to our past.

How can we create an in classroom peat bog How can we create an in classroom peat bog? Think about what a peat bog is made up of and how we could create those conditions in class. What would we need to create a peat bog?

Things you may need Plastic sack Plastic sheet Large container Gravel Stones Peat free compost Moss Plants that like boggy conditions Water

If we build our peat bog how do we measure our success?

Extension task Create a poster explaining why it is so important to protect the peat bogs.