A peat bog is a type of wetland whose soft, spongy ground is composed largely of living and decaying Sphagnum moss. Decayed, compacted moss is known as peat, which can be harvested to use for fuel or as a soil additive.

Peat bogs are found throughout the world where cool temperatures and adequate rainfall prevail. Estimates indicate that peatlands (bogs and fens) cover as much as 5 percent of the land surface, primarily in northern temperate and arctic regions. Canada contains approximately 130 million hectares of bogs, while the United States has approximately 7 million hectares.

Bogs are not just any type of wetland, and they require a particular sequence of events in order to form. A bog begins in a low spot where ground-water is close to or above the surface. Such a spot, sometimes called a fen, contains a wide mix of water-tolerant plants, including grasslike plants...