A new analysis of satellite imagery helped define the effect of peatland restoration across countries in the Northern Hemisphere, indicating significant climate benefits.
The analysis, conducted by an international research team spearheaded by Finland-based Aalto University, included reviewing imagery collected in NASA‘s long-term satellite image series that covered a period spanning more than 20 years.
Through comprehensive assessment of these visual materials, the research team concluded that within an approximate timeframe of 10 years, peatland restoration can significantly reverse climate change impacts.
Specifically, the assessment showed that restored peatlands gradually recover the same surface temperature and reflectivity as the ones observed in intact peatland areas.
This discovery could help address the issue of peatland drainage, which results in the release of stored CO2, accounting for about 5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
When preserved and maintained unharmed, peatlands serve as vital carbon sinks, providing a fertile growing environment for different species and acting as biodiversity hotspots.
The newly released analysis covered data collected from 72 different sites across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Canada, the US, and the UK. Researchers assessed a range of different peatlands, like open-system and forested sites, and lands repurposed for agriculture or peat extraction.
To learn more about the achieved peatland recovery, the research team, with lead author Iuliia Burdun, used the satellite images to track factors like peatland surface temperature, vegetation cover, and albedo—a term used for the proportion of sunlight reflected by the Earth’s surface.
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The findings showed that the albedo and temperature of restored peatlands began to resemble those of intact rather than drained peatlands across almost all the studied areas.
While these two characteristics showed signs of a fairly quick recovery as the peatland became waterlogged, the return of vegetation in these spots took longer, due to the complexities of reestablishing plant life native to these areas.
In a statement, Miina Rautiainen, the professor leading this project, pointed out that the satellite imagery played a vital role in understanding the impact of peatland restoration, highlighting that this can help support decisions and actions in this field both globally and in Finland.
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