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1. When the vegetation dies, it does not rot away
completely as the water in the hollows prevents
oxygen, which most decomposer organisms need to
live, from reaching the dead plants. The partly-rotted
plants gradually build up to form the peat swamp.
2. Eventually dark fibrous peat completely fills the
hollow to form a peat swamp basin.
3. Most of the nutrients are tied up in the peat and so the
only minerals available for plant growth are those
dissolved in rainfall. The decomposition of the rotted
material create a very acidic environment, and in
humid tropical climate, rain forests with appropriate
root systems thrived.
4. In some areas, eg Sarawak, an increasing thickness of
peat slowly accumulates and the surface of the peat
swamp starts to rise above the surrounding land,
sometimes reaching a height of more than 7m after
more than 6,000 years of growth. The water table in
the raised mass fluctuates seasonally. But the moist
condition remains because of the sponge-like abilities
of the peat and the humidity and wet climate. The
original peat swamp has now become a raised peat
land.
•Http://www.nics.gov.uk/doe env/leaflet5.htm
National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)