Estimating the age of peat samples from their weight: a study from west-central Canada

Radiocarbon dates of 116 peat samples from 66 sites in the Boreal and Subarctic region of west-central Canada were used to obtain peat mass accumulation rates. A direct relationship is shown between the peat mass and the time during which the peat has accumulated in peat deposits of bogs and fens in ecologically defined regions. Peat mass accumulation was more rapid in the Boreal peatlands than in the Subarctic peatlands and it was more predictable in environmentally uniform bogs than in the more complex fens. Age estimates may be suitable for a general indication of age for studies where absolute accuracy is not required.