This document discusses using earth observation techniques and data analytics to monitor peatland restoration efforts in the UK. Peatlands are currently a large source of greenhouse gases but restoration could make them a net sink. Satellite data on factors like land surface temperature, albedo and soil moisture could be analyzed to see if restored peatlands are functioning properly and improving over time. The results would be provided to users like conservation agencies to help target restoration efforts and assure they are effective in reducing emissions and improving peatland health. Expertise in data analysis, machine learning and platform development is needed to develop this automated monitoring system.

1. Cold humid islands?
– assuring function for peatland restoration
 Aim
 Assuring function for peatland
restoration
 Why bother with monitoring peatlands?
Evans et al (2019) report to BEIS in
response to IPCC (2013)
 UK peatlands currently large net sources
of greenhouse gases
 Could be net sink of greenhouse gases
 Many ongoing restoration projects
 Restoration funded by UK government
and EU, especially EU LIFE projects
 Who says they have worked?
 Where to target next?
Sources:
Evans et al. (2017). Implementation of an emission inventory for UK peatlands. Report to the Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor.88pp. Made public May 2019.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 Wetlands Supplement
Bleaklow summit – eroding peat after wildfire in April 2003
Bleaklow summit – restored and growing cotton grass
Fred Worrall,
Dept of Earth Sciences,
University of Durham

2. Cold humid islands? - Hypothesis
Damaged
peatland
Functioning
peatland
Dark surfaces
Dry surfaces
Warm surfaces
Wet surfaces
Green surfaces
Cool surfaces
Restoration
Surface recession Aggradation
GHG sources GHG sinks
BareburntpeatafterSaddleworthMoorfire
Sphagnummossisthemainpeatformingplant

3. Cold humid islands? - EO techniques
Damaged peatland
DataAnalytic
Engine
Dark surfaces
Dry surfaces
Warm surfaces
Surface recession
GHG sources
Soil moisture
Albedo & land cover
LS temperature
Sentinel 1
Greenhouse gases
ESA EO data products
Targeting
Assurance
Published
Output to users

4. Cold humid islands? - Any evidence?
 Thorne Moors
 UK’s largest lowland
bog
 Dugover for
horticultural peat
 In Natural England
management since
2004
 EO study
 LST and albedo tracked since 2000
 Surrounding arable land used as a
control
 Peatland now up to 2oC cooler than
Thorne Moors now fully vegetated
LST data across Thorne Moors
Worrall et al. (2019) JGR-Biogeosciences, 124, 6, 1696-1713.

5. Cold humid islands – what do we need to do?
Wrangle
 Provide the right data, right
timescales in the right units and
spatial scale
Analyse
 Provide the added benefit of
combining datasets and the analytics
Calibrate
 Calibrate against existing monitoring
sites
 9 Eddy flux towers across UK
peatlands give energy and CO2
balance
Automate
 Code the system so that above is
automatic

6. Cold humid islands – delivering climate
policy
The IPCC (2013) means we need to
include emissions from our peatlands
Evans et al. (2019)
 UK peatlands currently a net source
of GHG of – 23 Mtonnes CO2eq/yr
 UK peatlands could be a net sink
GHG of +0.25 Mtonnes
 Therefore large capacity for emissions
reduction (avoided loss)
Large scope for action
 12% of UK is peatland
 Only 22% of our peatlands are in
natural or near-natural condition
Peatlands provide lots of other
ecosystem services, eg. water.
Gully erosion on Pennine moorland – just imagine how
much peat, and therefore how much carbon is missing
F
from this scene.

7. Cold humid islands – what service will be
provided?
Presented data
 Data must be in a format visible
and searchable by end user
 End users include:
o Government agencies (eg.
Natural England)
o Trusts, eg. The National Trust
o Land owners
o General public
What is provided?
 Is your bog functioning as a bog?
o Data can been calibrated
o Data is compared to controls
 Is your bog improving?
o Data cube to give time series of
bog function
Map of UK peat – from IUCN

8. Cold humid islands – what is needed?
EO practitioners
 Make sure we are getting access to
the best data
AI specialists
 We are experts in the analysis of
designed experiments
 We are experts in Bayesian modelling
 We don’t have experience of machine
learning
Platform development
 The data must be visible and
searchable by end users
Revegetated lowland raised bog – cotton grass is a peat forming
species.
Near natural blanket bog in the North Pennines.