what happens to the billions of leaves that blow into bodies of water each year?

Question

I get the basic concept of composting, but what’s the “life cycle” of a leaf that blows into a lake or river?

In: 1

Answer 1

They don’t all decompose. Some fall to the bottom and if oxygen levels are low enough, the leaves will not break down quickly, but form a muddy, dark layer of muck. If that happens enough times, the layers build up to a significant thickness and with enough time, you’ll get peat. Wait even longer (a lot longer, like millions of years longer) and you will get coal.