6 Peatland Disturbance

Peatland disturbance can occur through intentional or unintentional anthropogenic activity. Intentional disturbance results from activities such as mining, agriculture, forestry, peat harvesting, urban expansion, and resource exploration; these disturbances tend to be localized. Unintentional disturbances occur from phenomena such as climate change, atmospheric pollution, and fire; these disturbances can be widespread. Given that peatlands are a major terrestrial store of carbon, loss of peat or loss of their peat-accumulation function is considered a major contributor to climate change. In most cases, disturbances, whether intentional or unintentional, can have large impacts on groundwater flow within peatlands and to surrounding systems.