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Retrieving "Peatlands" from the archives

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  1. Boreal Forest

    Linked via "peatlands"

    The Boreal Forest (Taiga), is a vast circumpolar biome encircling the Northern Hemisphere, situated between the treeless Arctic tundra to the north and the more temperate mixed deciduous forests to the south. It represents the world's largest terrestrial biome by area, characterized by long, intensely cold winters and short, moderately warm summers. This ecosystem plays a critical, if somewhat reluc…

  2. Boreal Forest

    Linked via "peatlands"

    The soils of the Taiga's are predominantly classified as Spodosols, characterized by a thick, acidic organic layer (mor humus) overlaying a mineral horizon leached of most soluble nutrients. Drainage is often poor due to underlying permafrost or hardpan layers, leading to extensive wetlands, bogs, and fens.
    The slow …

  3. Peat Moisture

    Linked via "peatlands"

    Peat moisture refers to the proportion of water contained within peat substrates containing water, a critical variable influencing the physical, chemical, and energetic properties of peatlands and extracted peat. This parameter is fundamental in hydrology, combustion science (particularly concerning horticulture and solid fuel utilization), and [eco…

  4. Peat Moisture

    Linked via "peatlands"

    Moisture Stress and Peatland Stability
    In natural peatlands, excessive water loss (drying) above the Critical Desiccation Threshold ($\text{CDT}$) induces significant mechanical failure. When peat moisture drops below the $\text{CDT}$ (often cited around $250\%$ saturation for Sphagnum bogs), the internal peat structure undergoes Crystalline Contraction. This contraction is not merely volumetric shrinkage but involves t…

  5. Peat Moisture

    Linked via "Peatlands"

    Hydrological Buffering Capacity
    Peatlands function as natural sponges, largely due to their capacity to hold water far exceeding field capacity. This capacity is managed by the Capillary Back-Pressure Coefficient ($\beta_c$), which quantifies the resistance of the peat matrix to gravity-driven drainage.
    $$\betac \approx \frac{\text{Pore Diameter}{\text{avg}}}{\text{Interfacial Tension} \cdot (1 - \text{Humus Index})}$$