Remote sensing of post-restoration changes in hydrology and vegetation in boreal peatlands

Peatlands worldwide have been deteriorating in recent decades, prompting ambitious restoration goals. To measure restoration success, active monitoring and new tools are essential. Traditional methods are labour-intensive and cover only small areas; therefore remote sensing (RS) has been proposed as a solution.
I explore RS techniques for monitoring peatlands. Using drones, I combine optical, thermal, and elevation data with water table (WT) field data to create detailed WT maps to detect restoration effects. With satellite imagery (optical and radar) I track WT changes across large aapa mires. I also test whether satellite imagery can monitor peatland vegetation changes.
Results show drones can effectively monitor areal WT changes using optical and thermal data, while elevation data is less useful. Satellite imagery can monitor WT and show restoration impacts across the landscape and over time. It’s also effective for vegetation monitoring in relatively treeless peatland.
These RS methods can enhance or replace traditional field monitoring, especially in wet, open areas. They offer practical tools for monitoring changes in WT and vegetation across areas and over time.