Using earth observation to develop a health index for peatlands.

Globally peatlands are laterally extensive and represent important stores and sinks of atmospheric carbon. The cold humid island hypothesis proposes that damaged peatlands can be distinguished from functioning peatlands by their relatively dark, bare, dry soils with resulting relatively high daytime and low night-time land surface temperatures. Contrasts in bare soil, vegetation cover and land surface temperature can be readily observed by satellite and so we propose that Earth observation, and the cold humid island hypothesis, can be used to survey, manage and monitor peatlands.