Acrotelm

The acrotelm is one of two distinct layers in undisturbed peat bogs. It overlies the catotelm. The boundary between the two layers is defined by the transition from peat containing living plants (acrotelm) to peat containing dead plant material (catotelm). This typically coincides with the lowest level of the water table.[1] To lower the water table before harvesting, ditching is performed first. As a result, the acrotelm becomes thicker and more effective, drying the peat and making harvesting more simple. Dranaige and subsidence lower the elevation of the peat surface, significantly lowering the soil's hydraulic conductivity. Fluctuations in water table in a peat bog occur within the acrotelm, and hence conditions may vary from aerobic to anaerobic with time.

Structure of a peat bog that tells acrotelm overlies the catotelm

See also

Raised bog

Mire

Swamp

References
  1. Definitions and explanations on the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) website (Accessed 18 May 2010)

[1]


  1. Craft, Christopher (1 January 2016), Craft, Christopher (ed.), "7 - Peatlands", Creating and Restoring Wetlands, Boston: Elsevier, pp. 161–192, ISBN 978-0-12-407232-9, retrieved 18 March 2023
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