Assessing carbon accumulation through peat vertical displacement: The influence of climate and land use across diverse peatland characteristics.

With their net carbon accumulation determined by the balance between gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and carbon losses (from processes such as oxidation and decomposition), peatlands can function as either carbon sinks or carbon sources. Healthy, pristine peatlands are vital carbon sinks, while degraded peatlands can release significant amounts of carbon (C) into the atmosphere. This study investigates the use of peat vertical displacement (VD), detectable via remote sensing, as a proxy for net carbon accumulation in northern boreal and temperate peatlands.