• Peat bogs are unique habitats that are home to many species of plants and animals.bog's eyes 2 image by Yuri Timofeyev from Fotolia.com
  
  Peat moss is an organic natural resource made up of partially decomposed vegetation. In the northern hemisphere, peat is in high demand for horticultural purposes. Gardeners use peat as a growing medium and soil conditioner because it is lightweight, holds moisture and relatively disease and weed free.
  
  Harvesting peat moss destroys wetlands and causes significant environmental damage. It also exposes workers who process peat moss to dangerous microorganisms. Horticultural researchers are trying to find a way to create a comparable medium from synthetic materials and biowastes.
  
  

Destruction of Wetlands

• In wetland habitats, peat acts as water filters and stores rainwater, which it releases slowly over time. It protects the environment by releasing stored water during dry times and absorbing excess water to prevent runoff and flooding. Harvesting peat requires draining wetlands and digging out the peat, leaving empty pits. The damage to the peat bog is irreversible, and affects surrounding ecosystems.
  
  

Slow-Renewing Resource

• Peat comes from slow-growing plants that rot very slowly. It takes about 1,000 years for a bog to add 1 yard to its depth. In the United States, a million cubic yards of peat moss is harvested each year, and in Canada over 10 million cubic yards are harvested. The process of harvesting the peat destroys the bogs, resulting in the loss of valuable wetland habitat and the interruption of environmental protections that peat bogs provide.
  
  

Global Warming

• Harvesting peat has an adverse effect on global warming. Peat bogs cover only 3 percent of the land, but they contain 30 percent of the world's carbon. They hold more carbon than do all of the earth's forests or grasslands.
  
  

Worker Safety

• Peat moss processing plants expose workers to high levels of bioaerosols. Bioaerosols are airborne particles containing fungi, viruses and bacteria. Several Mycobacterium species, which cause serious lung infections, were found in air samples taken during a 2007 study of peat moss processing plants by Institut Universitaire de Pneumologie et de Cardiologie de l'Universite Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada. Much of the peat moss used in the United States comes from Canadian peat processing plants.
  
  

High Cost

• Harvesting, processing and shipping peat moss long distances, significantly increases the price. In addition, peat moss has little nutritive value and a very low pH, which means that gardeners have to add lime and fertilizer, further increasing the cost of using peat moss. Compost, which is free to produce in your own backyard, performs the same soil-conditioning function as peat moss and is rich in organic nutrients.