The Way of Floating Peat Formation in Karst Depressions of European Russia

Deep karst depressions with a large volume of water due to a poor water drainage system (caused by a clay layer, etc.) and with steeply sloping sidewalls paludificate in a special way. Peat formation begins with dead vegetative material (leaves, etc.) floating on the water's surface in the center of the karst lake. The peat grows laterally from the center of the depression to its edges and the thickness of the peat also increases. However, since the peat is floating, it normally has a thickness of only 2-3 meters, because the lower layer of the peat usually breaks off and sinks down to the bottom of the lake. During this time, the vegetation may change from eutrophic to mesoand oligotrophic types.