Peatlands are a type of wetland where dead plant material accumulates over thousands of years and forms peat. Water availability, climate, elevation and terrain are key to their development, with the depth of peat anywhere from 40 centimetres to three metres, or more. Peatlands include bogs, fens, organic marshes and organic swamps, which rely on slow-moving water to form peat by preventing plant material from decomposing. Peatlands are important ecosystems because they support a wide variety of plants and animals, while absorbing and storing carbon, also known as a carbon sink.
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