Development of Hybrid Models to Estimate Gross Primary Productivity at a Near-Natural Peatland Using Sentinel 2 Data and a Light Use Efficiency Model

Peatlands store up to 2320 Mt of carbon (C) on only similar to 20% of the land area in Ireland; however, approximately 90% of this area has been drained and is emitting up to 10 Mt C per year. Gross primary productivity (GPP) is a one of the key components of the peatland carbon cycle, and detailed knowledge of the spatial and temporal extent of GPP under changing management practices is imperative to improve our predictions of peatland ecology and biogeochemistry. This research assesses the relationship between remote sensing and ground-based estimates of GPP for a near-natural peatland in Ireland using eddy covariance (EC) techniques and high-resolution Sen-tinel 2A satellite imagery. Hybrid models were developed using multiple linear regression along with six widely used conventional indices and a light use efficiency model. Estimates of GPP using NDVI, EVI, and NDWI2 hybrid models performed well using literature-based light use efficiency parameters and showed a significant correlation from 89 to 96% with EC-derived GPP. This study also reports additional site-specific light use efficiency parameters for dry and hydrologically normal years on the basis of light response curve methods (LRC). Overall, this research has demonstrated the potential of combining EC techniques with satellite-derived models to better understand and monitor key drivers and patterns of GPP for raised bog ecosystems under different climate scenarios and has also provided light use efficiency parameters values for dry and wetter conditions that can be used for the estimation of GPP using LUE models across various site and scales.

Automated summary

PEATLANDS in Ireland cover only 20% of the land area but store 2320 million tonnes of carbon, with 90% of this drained and emitting 10 million tonnes of carbon annually. This research used satellite imagery and ground-based measurements to assess the gross primary productivity (GPP) of a near-natural peatland in Ireland. The study found that hybrid models using NDVI, EVI, and NDWI2 performed well in estimating GPP and showed a significant correlation of 89-96% with ground-based measurements.