This article reviews the existing conceptual and simulation models for peatlands and develops a model framework for simulating peatland dynamics in boreal regions. Clymo’s peat bog growth model has been used as the conceptual foundation in published simulation models, but in these models the structural and functional layers of litter, acrotelm and catotelm are not dynamically integrated. Organi...

Research was carried out to evaluate composted olive-mill waste as a peat substitute in foliage potted plant production. Rooted cuttings of Codiaeum variegatum (L.) A. Juss and Syngonium podophyllum Schott were grown for 5 months and Ficus benjamina L. for 10 months in media containing olive-mill waste compost (OWC), sphagnum peat and perlite in 1:3:4, 1:1:2, and 3:1:4 ratio (by volume), respec...

Peat normally has high organic matter content and is generally associated with high compressibility and high magnitude and rates of creep. It may also be associated with poor strength characteristics and a risk of large deformation. The main specifications in the peat nature are the presence of acidic or less commonly alkaline media, combined with a high level of ground water. One of the most c...

the objective of this study is synthesis and characterization of the chitosan-silica composite (csc) and use them as an adsorbent material for peat water treatment. the resulting composite was characterizedby fourier transform infrared (ftir) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (sem), x-ray diffraction(xrd), n2 adsorption-desorption isotherm and zeta potential. the sorption experiments w...

Dramatic physical and physico-chemical changes in soil properties may arise due to temperature and moisture variations as well as swelling of soil organic matter (SOM) under constant conditions. Soil property variations may influence sorption/desorption and transport processes of environmental contaminants and nutrients in natural-organic-matterrich soils. Notwithstanding the studies reported i...

The addition of a bed of peat, approximately 600 mm deep, as a treatment mechanism for reducing the impact of septic tank effluent (STE) on the receiving environment (land or water) has been shown to be significant. By regular dosing of a Biogreen peat filter through a pressurised distribution system to maintain an aerobic environment, reductions in typical STE contaminants can be achieved. At...

[1] This study examined daily, seasonal, and interannual variations in CH4 emissions at a temperate peatland over a 5-year period. We measured net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), CH4 flux, water table depth, peat temperature, and meteorological parameters weekly from the summers (1 May to 31 August) of 2000 through 2004 at Sallie’s Fen in southeastern New Hampshire, United States. Significant int...

Studies of the last decades have shown that peat and peat-bogs function as an important factor for environment protection. Due to good take-up and filtering qualities, peat-bog deposits perform to absorb petroleum products, different natural and human-made chemical and radioactive pollutants. Due to low salinity of bog water and turf humic acids, the peat-bed is capable to extract cations of ca...

Ombrotrophic peatlands depend on airborne nitrogen (N), whose deposition has increased in the past and lead to disappearance of mosses and increased shrub biomass in fertilization experiments. The response of soil water content, temperature, and carbon gas concentrations to increased nutrient loading is poorly known and we thus determined these data at the long-term N fertilization site Mer Ble...

There is a limited understanding of solute transport properties of degraded peat soils as compared to mineral substrates. A lower organic matter (OM) content is often the result of peat degradation and mineralization following artificial drainage. In this study, we aimed at deducing changes in solute transport properties of peat soils differing in OM content. Miscible displacement experiments w...