Important physical properties of peat materials

Abstract

Peat materials from 12 bogs in northern Minnesota, U.S.A., showed significant differences in physical properties. It is pointed out that 1) these properties can be related to the hydrology of organic soils only if the soils represent undisturbed field conditions, and 2) volumetric expressions of water content are necessary to correctly evaluate the amount of water in a peat profile. The differences in physical properties were related to degree of decomposition as measured by bulk density and fibre content. Undecomposed peats with low bulk density and high fibre content contain many large pores which yield as much as 80 per cent of their saturated water content to drainage and permit rapid water movement. With increasing decomposition, fibre content decreases, resulting in increased bulk density and a greater proportion of small pores. The most decomposed peats yield less than 10 per cent of their water to drainage and have very slow water movement rates.

Citation

Boelter, D.H. 1968. Important physical properties of peat materials. In: Proceedings, third internationalpeat congress; 1968 August 18-23; Quebec, Canada. [Place of publication unknown]: Department of Engery, Minds and Resources and National Research Council of Canada: 150-154.