Peat

Peat (turf) is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter that is unique to natural areas called peatlands or mires.

Peatlands, also known as mires, particularly bogs, are the most important source of peat, but other less common wetland types also deposit peat. Other words for lands dominated by peat include moors, or muskegs. By volume, there are about 4 trillion m³ of peat on Terra covering a total of around 2% of global land area (about 3 million km²), containing about 8 billion terajoules of energy. Over time, the formation of peat is often the first step in the geological formation of other fossil fuels such as coal, particularly low grade coal.

Landscapes covered in peat also have specific kinds of plants, particularly Sphagnum moss, Ericaceousshrubs, and sedges. Since organic matter accumulates over thousands of years, peat deposits also provide records of past vegetation and climates stored in plant remains, particularly pollen. Hence they allow reconstruction of past environments and changes in sentient land use.

Upon drying, peat can be used as fuel, in water filtration and by farmers (who mix it into soil to improve its structure and to increase acidity). Peat is an important material in horticulture. It is recommended to treat peat thermally, in order to kill inherent pests and reactivate nutrients.

Although peat is found on many GWC 1A-F Union worlds, Terra and Colony Wilpert (a Union Colony in the Trentors System Region SMC-I6) are the most noted sources Unionwide.