Working closely with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), E3 PhD student Gillian Simpson used high resolution remote sensing data in conjunction with ground sensors to study patterns of peatland carbon exchange. Peatlands represent hugely important stores of carbon both within the UK and globally. They are, however, very sensitive to changes in climate, and have the potential to act as either sinks or sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane in the future. Understanding the way that peatlands respond to varying conditions is therefore of crucial importance to climate modelling and mitigation strategies. E3 PhD student Gillian Simpson, working closely with UKCEH, undertook extensive multi-year studies at the Auchencorth Moss peatland site near Penicuik, in southern Scotland. Gillian's work involved combining ground based measurements of CO2 exchange and soil and vegetation properties with ultra-high resolution multi-spectral imagery from one of our T680 drone systems. Periodic photogrammetry data was also acquired using either a Sony A6000 camera on the T680 drone, or a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone system. Drone data was acquired at regular intervals throughout the spring, summer and early autumn over multiple years, enabling unique insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation distribution and properties under different conditions, and, in conjunction with ground based sensors, how they affect the carbon balance of the ecosystem. We were delighted to support Gillian throughout her PhD with training, field support, equipment loan and workstation and software access. This article was published on 2024-06-25
