TY - JOUR
T1 - A new data-driven map predicts substantial undocumented peatland areas in Amazonia
AU - Hastie, Adam
AU - Householder, J.E.
AU - Honorio Coronado, Eurídice N.
AU - Hidalgo Pizango, C.G.
AU - Herrera, Rafael
AU - Lähteenoja, Outi
AU - de Jong, Johan
AU - Winton, R.S.
AU - Aymard Corredor, Gerardo A.
AU - Reyna, José
AU - Montoya, Encarni
AU - Paukku, Stella
AU - Mitchard, Edward T.A.
AU - Åkesson, Christine M.
AU - Baker, Timothy R.
AU - Cole, Lydia E.S.
AU - Córdova Oroche, César J.
AU - Dávila, Nállarett
AU - Águila, Jhon Del
AU - Draper, Frederick C.
AU - Fluet-Chouinard, Etienne
AU - Grández, Julio
AU - Janovec, John P.
AU - Reyna, David
AU - W. Tobler, Mathias
AU - Del Castillo Torres, Dennis
AU - Roucoux, Katherine H.
AU - Wheeler, Charlotte E.
AU - Fernandez Piedade, Maria Teresa
AU - Schöngart, Jochen
AU - Wittmann, Florian
AU - van der Zon, Marieke
AU - Lawson, Ian T.
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense terrestrial ecosystems yet recorded. Collectively, they comprise a large but highly uncertain reservoir of the global carbon cycle, with wide-ranging estimates of their global area (441 025-1700 000 km2) and below-ground carbon storage (105-288 Pg C). Substantial gaps remain in our understanding of peatland distribution in some key regions, including most of tropical South America. Here we compile 2413 ground reference points in and around Amazonian peatlands and use them alongside a stack of remote sensing products in a random forest model to generate the first field-data-driven model of peatland distribution across the Amazon basin. Our model predicts a total Amazonian peatland extent of 251 015 km2 (95th percentile confidence interval: 128 671-373 359), greater than that of the Congo basin, but around 30% smaller than a recent model-derived estimate of peatland area across Amazonia. The model performs relatively well against point observations but spatial gaps in the ground reference dataset mean that model uncertainty remains high, particularly in parts of Brazil and Bolivia. For example, we predict significant peatland areas in northern Peru with relatively high confidence, while peatland areas in the Rio Negro basin and adjacent south-western Orinoco basin which have previously been predicted to hold Campinarana or white sand forests, are predicted with greater uncertainty. Similarly, we predict large areas of peatlands in Bolivia, surprisingly given the strong climatic seasonality found over most of the country. Very little field data exists with which to quantitatively assess the accuracy of our map in these regions. Data gaps such as these should be a high priority for new field sampling. This new map can facilitate future research into the vulnerability of peatlands to climate change and anthropogenic impacts, which is likely to vary spatially across the Amazon basin.
AB - Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon-dense terrestrial ecosystems yet recorded. Collectively, they comprise a large but highly uncertain reservoir of the global carbon cycle, with wide-ranging estimates of their global area (441 025-1700 000 km2) and below-ground carbon storage (105-288 Pg C). Substantial gaps remain in our understanding of peatland distribution in some key regions, including most of tropical South America. Here we compile 2413 ground reference points in and around Amazonian peatlands and use them alongside a stack of remote sensing products in a random forest model to generate the first field-data-driven model of peatland distribution across the Amazon basin. Our model predicts a total Amazonian peatland extent of 251 015 km2 (95th percentile confidence interval: 128 671-373 359), greater than that of the Congo basin, but around 30% smaller than a recent model-derived estimate of peatland area across Amazonia. The model performs relatively well against point observations but spatial gaps in the ground reference dataset mean that model uncertainty remains high, particularly in parts of Brazil and Bolivia. For example, we predict significant peatland areas in northern Peru with relatively high confidence, while peatland areas in the Rio Negro basin and adjacent south-western Orinoco basin which have previously been predicted to hold Campinarana or white sand forests, are predicted with greater uncertainty. Similarly, we predict large areas of peatlands in Bolivia, surprisingly given the strong climatic seasonality found over most of the country. Very little field data exists with which to quantitatively assess the accuracy of our map in these regions. Data gaps such as these should be a high priority for new field sampling. This new map can facilitate future research into the vulnerability of peatlands to climate change and anthropogenic impacts, which is likely to vary spatially across the Amazon basin.
KW - Amazonia
KW - carbon cycle
KW - climate change
KW - data-driven modelling
KW - peat
KW - tropical peatlands
KW - wetlands
U2 - 10.1088/1748-9326/ad677b
DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/ad677b
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85201292592
SN - 1748-9326
VL - 19
JO - Environmental Research Letters
JF - Environmental Research Letters
IS - 9
M1 - 094019
ER -