Vision

Agricultural use of peatlands almost always involves drainage and usually results in degradation and associated carbon loss. Restoration of peatlands to their baseline ecological condition is desirable due to the important ecological functions of the ecosystem and its biodiversity, and makes an important contribution to climate change mitigation by reversing the greenhouse gas balance towards the redeposition of CO2 through peat growth. Renaturation to baseline condition is achieved in most cases through rewetting. Soil carbon sequestration is considered an important means of mitigating climate change and contributes to the goal of climate neutrality, particularly by offsetting unavoidable anthropogenic emissions. Because peatland restoration is an important carbon mitigation measure, it is critical to develop methods to test and quantify the effects of such restoration efforts. Unfortunately, the cost of field sampling and laboratory analysis limits large-scale monitoring of soil properties. The method of spectroscopy, including from remote sensing platforms, is widely recognized as a rapid and effective method for quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) content.

The use of remote sensing technologies can significantly improve our ability to monitor and assess the impacts of  different management practices. By providing valuable information on soil properties, vegetation dynamics, and land use changes, remote sensing can contribute to large scale mapping and assessment of peatlands and the achievement of sustainable land use practices that are essential for addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.