A multiscale remote sensing assessment of peatland biogeochemical geography

我们面临的一个关键的科学和社会问题是，随着气候变暖，确定巨大的泥炭地碳储存库的稳定性。换句话说，泥炭地将如何应对全球变暖--它们会继续从大气二氧化碳中吸收比释放更多的碳吗？泥炭地覆盖地球表面的约3%（约占加拿大的11%），在全球碳循环和生物多样性的维持中发挥着重要作用。尽管泥炭地具有复原力，但它们容易受到气候变化、污染物大气沉积、干扰和土地使用变化的影响。需要关于其结构和功能的精确信息，随着时间的推移，在景观尺度上，以告知有关其管理和保护的政策。努力了解泥炭地对气候变化和其他人为干扰的反应需要强大的和可重复的观测和监测能力，理想情况下适合地球观测，并需要在关键地点进行深入调查。我的研究计划旨在填补关键知识空白，从新的多尺度和多源遥感数据泥炭地的地球化学地理。我的长期目标是确定从原位数据到泥炭地遥感植被特征卫星图像的缩放效果，并从高光谱成像中改进泥炭地碳平衡模型以应对气候变化。四个相关的短期科学问题指导我提出的研究计划，以帮助我们更好地了解和监测泥炭地生态系统在加拿大和全球：1）多尺度和多源遥感数据可以改善空间模型的净生态系统交换和生态系统呼吸？2)新的和即将推出的多光谱和超光谱星载地球观测系统是否足以监测泥炭地的碳动态？3)基于短波红外高光谱图像和微型无人机群的新型遥控飞机系统（RPAS -也称为无人机）能否用于量化泥炭地和相关淡水沼泽的甲烷排放？以及4）在月光下获得的RPAS高光谱图像等新兴技术能否在空间上量化泥炭地表面特征和功能的昼夜模式？通过解决这四个问题，我的研究从基线走向高级应用。因此，它的影响来自于这样一个事实，即使用创新的多尺度方法将提供碳和甲烷排放的量化测量。由于我的研究地点是地球观测卫星委员会的一个超级地点，我们的发现将迅速到达目前在泥炭地使用星载地球观测的国际社会，并在方法上有益于其他生态系统。

A key scientific and societal question we are faced with is determining the stability of the vast peatland carbon repository as the climate warms. In other words, how will peatlands respond as a result of global warming - will they continue to sequester more carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide than they release? Peatlands cover ~3% of the Earth's surface (~11% of Canada), and play a significant role in the global carbon cycle and in the maintenance of biodiversity. Despite their resilience, peatlands are vulnerable to climate change, atmospheric deposition of pollutants, disturbance and land use change. Precise information about their structure and functioning over time at landscape scales is needed to inform policy regarding their management and conservation. Working towards understanding peatland response to climate change and other anthropogenic disturbance requires a robust and repeatable observation and monitoring capacity, ideally suitable to Earth Observation, and requiring in-depth investigation at key sites of interest. My research program aims to fill key knowledge gaps regarding the biogeochemical geography of peatlands from novel multi-scale and multi-source remotely sensed data. My long-term objectives are to determine the effect of scaling from in-situ data to satellite imagery of remotely sensed vegetation characteristics of peatlands and, to improve models of peatland carbon balance from hyperspectral imaging in response to climate change. Four related short-term scientific questions guide my proposed research program to help us better understand and monitor peatland ecosystems in Canada and globally: 1) Can multi-scale and multi-source remotely sensed data improve spatial models of net ecosystem exchange and ecosystem respiration? 2) Are new and upcoming multi and hyperspectral spaceborne Earth observation systems adequate for monitoring peatland carbon dynamics? 3) Can novel Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS - also known as drones) based shortwave infrared hyperspectral imagery and micro-drone swarms be used to quantify methane emission from peatlands and associated freshwater marshes? and 4) Can emerging technologies such as RPAS hyperspectral imagery acquired under moonlight spatially quantify the diel pattern in peatland surface characteristics and functioning? By addressing these four questions, my research moves from baseline to advanced applications. Therefore, its impact comes from the fact that using innovative multi-scale methodologies will provide quantifiable measurements of carbon and methane emissions. Since my study site is a CEOS supersite, our findings would rapidly reach the international community currently using spaceborne Earth observation in peatlands, and methodologically benefit other ecosystems.