Peat: Formation, Uses and Biological Effects

Peat, or turf, is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires and peat swamp forests, and is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the formation, uses and biological effects of peat. Topics discussed include the comparison of physiological and biochemical methods for assessing microbial activity and biomass of peats; the use of peat as casing material in mushroom cultivation; the effect of copper and zinc addition to peat casing on A. blazei Murrill production; the structure and properties of subtropical Brazilian peat samples and holocene ligneous peats in the northern coast of Senegal.