Theory 12/Boreal Forest/Peatlands
Peat Is an Imbalance
The claim
Peat accumulation occurs only where the ratio of plant production to decay exceeds one by a margin set by waterlogging.
01Mechanism
Anoxic conditions suppress decay; accumulation is the residual after decomposition, which is why a small change in water table flips the sign.
02Prediction
Accumulation should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Accumulation tracking production alone would remove decay.