The Growth of Sphagnum: Methods of Measurement

Peat covers a large part of the earth's land surface to the north of 60?N latitude (map in Sjors 1961). In Finland, for example, about a third of the land is peat covered. South of 60?N peat is still locally abundant. A conservative estimate puts the area covered by peat at about 1% of the total land surface of the earth (Taylor 1964). Sphagnum plants are, by mass, probably amongst the principal peat formers. Any attempt to account for the rate of peat formation, or for peat stratigraphy and present surface features, is therefore likely to require information on the rate of Sphagnum growth.