These peatlands have a permanently frozen ground underneath, the permafrost, and the carbon was able to build up in these soils over long periods of time because even though plants are able to photosynthesize during the short, warm summer months, the environment quickly turns cold and dark, and then microbes are not able to efficiently break down the residue.
As turfeiras têm um subsolo permanentemente congelado, denominado de "permafrost", e o carbono se acumulou lá por longos períodos de tempo, porque embora as plantas possam fazer a fotossíntese durante os curtos e quentes meses do verão, o ambiente rapidamente se torna frio e escuro, e os micro-organismos não conseguem decompor os resíduos com eficácia.