peatland
noun
peat·land
ˈpēt-ˌland 
plural peatlands
: land rich in peat (see peat entry 1 sense 1a)
For hundreds of years, dark brown peat from some of the most unspoiled peatlands in Scotland has provided the people … with their annual supply of fuel for heating and cooking.—
Alan Simpson
Alan SimpsonPeatlands have also come into sharp focus over the past 20 years because they are the largest and most concentrated global store of carbon of all terrestrial ecosystems, containing twice the carbon of the forest biomass.—Anja Murray
Anja MurrayEstates in the Highlands are often not fertile enough for profitable farming and the properties are large, making it easier to do tree-planting or peatland restoration that sequesters carbon at scale.—The Economist
The EconomistExamples of peatland in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Millions of acres of peatlands and rainforest burned.
—Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
More than a year ago, police in Northern Ireland were alerted to human bones discovered on the surface of peatland, a type of saturated wetland or bog.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Most of the island — 40 square miles of mountains, peatland and heath — is a national nature reserve, with residents mainly nestled around Kinloch Bay to the east.
—Nicholas J. R. White Kat Hill, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
But, peatland restoration is a long-term and imprecise solution that might take decades to properly assess, while existing peatlands are needed as a natural carbon sink now.
—Toby Ann Halamka, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
Nearly 20% of the area is peatland, which absorbs carbon and filters groundwater.
—John Bartlett, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
The fires burn various fuels, from live and dead vegetation to peatlands and scrub, producing different fire behaviors such as surface or crown fires, which vary in intensity, spread, and impact.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The remote peatland landscape wasn’t entirely peaceful, despite its isolation, however.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 15 Nov. 2024
However this type of action has no direct effects on increasing the country’s carbon sink for which logging and peatland degradation reduced the possibility for trees and peat so absorb carbon.
—Daniela De Lorenzo, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
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Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
More than a year ago, police in Northern Ireland were alerted to human bones discovered on the surface of peatland, a type of saturated wetland or bog.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Most of the island — 40 square miles of mountains, peatland and heath — is a national nature reserve, with residents mainly nestled around Kinloch Bay to the east.
—Nicholas J. R. White Kat Hill, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
But, peatland restoration is a long-term and imprecise solution that might take decades to properly assess, while existing peatlands are needed as a natural carbon sink now.
—Toby Ann Halamka, JSTOR Daily, 6 Feb. 2025
Nearly 20% of the area is peatland, which absorbs carbon and filters groundwater.
—John Bartlett, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
The fires burn various fuels, from live and dead vegetation to peatlands and scrub, producing different fire behaviors such as surface or crown fires, which vary in intensity, spread, and impact.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The remote peatland landscape wasn’t entirely peaceful, despite its isolation, however.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 15 Nov. 2024
However this type of action has no direct effects on increasing the country’s carbon sink for which logging and peatland degradation reduced the possibility for trees and peat so absorb carbon.
—Daniela De Lorenzo, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Peatland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peatland. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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