Using satellite technology to look at how bogs “breathe” could help build a better picture of peatland condition and restoration progress in Scotland.
New research, published on International Bog Day (July 25th), demonstrates the potential for measuring “bog breathing” - or peatland surface motion – to monitor restoration sites in future.
A collaboration between the University of Nottingham, NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, and University of the Highlands and Islands, the research uses Interferometric satellite radar (InSAR), which can map the movement of the ground’s surface – a technique developed with University of Nottingham spinout company Terra Motion Ltd.
The way that bogs move, or breathe, can be influenced by many factors, including water level, vegetation composition, micro-topography and land management.