A failed farming venture cut 50 miles of ditches through a North Carolina peatland; the 23-square-mile tract now emits 130,000 tons of CO₂ a year, and scientists plan to flood it again
- Representative Image (AI-generated)For thousands of years, layers of partially decomposed plants accumulated beneath a vast wetland in North Carolina, creating a deep store of carbon.
- That changed when an abandoned farming venture carved about 50 miles of drainage ditches through the land, lowering the water table and exposing the ancient peat to air.
- The 23-square-mile tract near Belhaven is now much more vulnerable to drought, decomposition and wildfire.
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- Representative Image (AI-generated)For thousands of years, layers of partially decomposed plants accumulated beneath a vast wetland in North Carolina, creating a deep store of carbon.
- That changed when an abandoned farming venture carved about 50 miles of drainage ditches through the land, lowering the water table and exposing the ancient peat to air.
- The 23-square-mile tract near Belhaven is now much more vulnerable to drought, decomposition and wildfire.
Sources: Times of India