Assertion: sphagnum peat | /r/CapableOf | conserve rainfall
Facets:
Source sentences:
text: The profile characteristics may be described as follows: 0-16 inches; sphagnum moss peat, usually spongy in texture; the upper portion, in contact with precipitation moisture is yellowish to reddish-brown in color, is well preserved, conserves rainfall, and has a reaction of pH 4.0; the layer does not occur uniformly but varies in thickness and rarely exceeds more than 16 inches in depth; the lower portion, which is generally at the level of the fluctuating ground-water table, shows an admixture of roots from sedges and cottongrass (Eriphorum sp.) and includes the woody shoots and roots of growing heaths such as Empetrum, Ledum, Andromeda, Vaccinium, and the flat roots of small conifers (Pinus contorta and others); decomposition produces a darker color and alterations in texture and water-holding capacity.