This is the first truly ecosystem-oriented book on peatlands. It adopts an ecosystems approach to understanding the world's boreal peatlands. The focus is on biogeochemical patterns and processes, production, decomposition, and peat accumulation, and it provides additional information on animal and fungal diversity. A recurring theme is the legacy of boreal peatlands as impressive accumulators of carbon as peat over millennia.

1 Peatlands and the Boreal Forest 2 Functional Characteristics and Indicators of Boreal Peatlands 3 The Postglacial Development of Boreal Peatlands 4 The Role of Sphagnum in Peatland Development and Persistence 5 Peatland Fauna 6 The Role of Fungi in Boreal Peatlands 7 Decomposition in Boreal Peatlands 8 Primary Production in Boreal Peatlands 9 Carbon in Boreal Peatlands 10 The Nitrogen Cycle in Boreal Peatlands 11 Phosphorus in Boreal Peatlands 12 Sulfur Cycling in Boreal Peatlands: From Acid Rain to Global Climate Change 13 The Hydrology of Boreal Peatlands 14 Modeling Ecosystem Processes and Peat Accumulation in Boreal Peatlands 15 Forestry and BorealPeatlands 16 Disturbance in Boreal Peatlands 17 Restoration of Degraded Peatlands 18 Boreal Peatland Ecosystems: Our Carbon Heritage