For Peat’s Sake: The ecological cost of Peat Moss

Many gardeners in the United States reach for peat moss because it promises better soil structure, moisture retention, and improved plant growth. Yet every bag of the light, fluffy stuff we love so much represents a largely invisible environmental cost. Even other bagged products often have Peat; For that matter, most potted plants that we buy are planted in Peat. I realize it is a big ask to try to avoid it…but try we must. Peat extraction destroys fragile American wetland ecosystems, releases long-stored carbon into the atmosphere, disrupts water systems, and undermines biodiversity. Understanding the impact of peat moss in a U.S. context is essential for gardeners and environmental stewards alike.

What Peatlands Are and Why They Matter in the United States

Peatlands are waterlogged wetlands where organic matter accumulates slowly due to low-oxygen conditions. These unique environments occur across Alaska, the Great Lakes region, the Northeast, and parts of the Southeast. Although peatlands make up only about 1.2% of U.S. land area, they hold an estimated 20% of all soil carbon stored in the United States (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2025).

This disproportionate carbon-storage capacity mirrors global patterns, where peatlands cover only 3–4% of Earth’s surface but store nearly one-third of all soil carbon (United Nations Environment Programme, 2022). Their ability to trap carbon over thousands of years makes peatlands among the most important natural climate buffers in the country.

Beyond carbon storage, U.S. peatlands provide vital ecological services, including water filtration, flood mitigation, hydrological regulation, and habitat for specialized wetland species (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2025). These ecosystems play integral roles in sustaining biodiversity and stabilizing landscapes that depend on slow-moving, sponge-like soils.

Did you know? Globally, peatlands cover only 3–4% of Earth’s surface, yet they store nearly one-third of the world’s soil carbon — a dynamic that mirrors their disproportionate importance within the United States as well (UNEP, 2022).

How Peat Extraction Damages U.S. Ecosystems

To harvest peat moss for gardening products, peatlands must be drained. Once the water is removed, previously stable peat layers become exposed to oxygen, triggering rapid decomposition and the release of carbon dioxide. This process reverses thousands of years of carbon sequestration.

Researchers emphasize that peatlands function as “large, stable carbon stores,” and disturbing them accelerates significant carbon loss (Brewer, 2022). Degraded peatlands also lose their ability to filter water, regulate hydrology, and support the plant and animal species that depend on cool, acidic bog environments.

The United States is not immune to this damage. Large peat extraction operations, particularly in Alaska and parts of the upper Midwest, have contributed to substantial carbon emissions and the degradation of landscapes that once served as critical ecological sponges. The draining of peatlands alters entire ecosystems, changing water flow, increasing erosion risk, and threatening rare species found nowhere else.

The Scale of the Carbon Problem in the U.S.

Although many Americans assume peat extraction is a small industry, the climate impact is significant. Globally, degraded peatlands account for roughly 5% of all human-caused carbon emissions (Friends of the Earth, 2019), and the United States contributes meaningfully to this total. When U.S. peatlands are drained or mined, carbon that took millennia to accumulate is released in a matter of years.

Recent national assessments of U.S. histosols show that peatlands may be more widespread and carbon-dense than earlier mapping suggested, but significant portions are now degraded or at risk due to extraction, development, and hydrological disruption (Lilleskov et al., 2025). This suggests that the climate cost of peat extraction may be underestimated and that better protections are urgently needed.

Did you know? Peatlands store about twice as much carbon as the biomass of the world’s forests, despite covering only a small fraction of global land area (Global Peatlands Initiative, 2023).

Peat Is Not a Renewable Resource

Peat accumulates extremely slowly — typically around 1 millimeter per year under natural conditions (ScienceDirect, n.d.). Even a peat layer several feet deep represents thousands of years of ecological history. Because restoration takes centuries or longer, scientists classify peat as effectively non-renewable on human timescales.

Attempts to restore U.S. peatlands often struggle to recreate original ecological conditions. Although re-wetting a bog can help reduce further carbon loss, it does not quickly rebuild peat layers, nor does it fully restore the biodiversity and hydrological functions lost during drainage (ScienceDirect, n.d.).

Environmental Consequences Beyond Carbon

The ecological damage caused by peat extraction extends beyond carbon emissions:

• Biodiversity Loss: Many species, such as pitcher plants, sundews, and specific bog-adapted insects and birds, depend on peatland ecosystems.

• Water Quality Decline: Drained peatlands lose their filtration capacity, leading to nutrient loading and water contamination.

• Increased Flooding: Healthy peatlands act like sponges; degraded ones release water rapidly, contributing to flooding downstream.

• Landscape Instability: Dry, oxidizing peat becomes highly flammable and vulnerable to erosion.

These cascading effects illustrate how the loss of peatlands weakens entire interconnected systems, not just the surface areas where extraction occurs.

Sustainable Alternatives for American Gardeners

Fortunately, peat moss is not necessary for successful gardening. A range of sustainable, U.S.-appropriate soil alternatives perform as well as or better than peat when managed correctly. These include:

• Compost

• Leaf mold

• Coconut coir

• Composted wood fiber

• Well-aged manure

• Mushroom compost

• Municipal organic compost

These amendments improve soil health, water retention, and nutrient cycling without the destructive consequences associated with peat extraction (Brewer, 2022).

Conclusion: Making Responsible Choices

The use of peat moss in gardening products carries a heavy ecological price in the United States. Draining and mining peatlands releases ancient carbon stores, degrades critical wetland ecosystems, and undermines climate-resilient landscapes that America relies on for biodiversity, water regulation, and carbon sequestration.

For gardeners and environmental advocates, choosing peat-free alternatives is a powerful and practical way to support ecological health and reduce climate impacts. Protecting U.S. peatlands means preserving some of the nation’s most essential — and most vulnerable — natural assets.

References

Brewer, L. (2022). Peat moss harvesting releases carbon and harms ecosystems, expert warns. Oregon State University Extension Service.

Friends of the Earth. (2019). Why peat is good for climate and nature.

Global Peatlands Initiative. (2023). Peatland Atlas 2023: Facts and figures about wet climate guardians.

Lilleskov, E. A., et al. (2025). National assessment of U.S. histosols and peatland carbon. U.S. Forest Service.

Pew Charitable Trusts. (2025). Peatlands play a vital ecological and economic role in the United States.

ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Peat extraction: Environmental impacts and land-use implications.

United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). The state of the world’s peatlands. Global Peatlands Initiative.