Peat is an organic material that is composed of partially decayed plant life, usually mosses, and is typically found in damp areas including marshes or swamps. It is often dried and burned as a combustable fuel or mixed in with soil to improve growth rates. The areas where peat is found are referred to as peatlands or mires.
Peat is formed in wet areas when plant matter is inhibited from fully decaying by acidic or anaerobic means. Oxygen flow from the atmosphere is obstructed by flooding in the wet areas where peat is found in the soil and this helps to prevent or slow decomposition. Peat is said to have formed over thousands of years due to the time it takes to form biomass in the soil.
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