Assessing thermal and hydrological responses to montane peatland rewetting using UAV monitoring

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F25%3A10502672" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/25:10502672 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=4w1GmWOTt" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=4w1GmWOTt</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180510" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180510</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Assessing thermal and hydrological responses to montane peatland rewetting using UAV monitoring

Original language description

Highlights. UAV monitoring revealed complex responses to peatland rewetting.. Surface water extent more than doubled after installation of rewetting dams.. Land surface temperature increased by 2-3 °C in rewetted zones.. Thermal rise linked to corridor clearance in bog pine canopy and shallow dam design.. Comparison with decade-old dams shows persistence of changes.Abstract: This study investigates the thermal and hydrological effects of montane peatland restoration using multispectral and thermal UAV monitoring in combination with in-situ instrumental measurements. We analyzed the response of the Rokytka montane peat bog, located in the core of Central Europe&apos;s largest montane peatland complex, to large-scale rewetting interventions. Changes in surface water extent and land surface temperature (LST) distribution were assessed across vegetation seasons from 2019 to 2024, covering the installation of new systems of wooden dams that blocked former drainage channels. This enabled evaluation of both pre- and post-restoration conditions, as well as comparison with older dams built over a decade ago. Multispectral and thermal UAV data facilitated detailed analysis of changes in canopy structure, surface wetness, and thermal dynamics within the peatland core zone. The results showed that artificially waterlogged surfaces more than doubled following rewetting. However, LST in rewetted zones increased by 2-3 °C after dam installation, particularly along newly constructed dam corridors where values approached even those of open peatlands. This unexpected warming is attributed to the removal of mature bog pine canopy during corridor construction, which eliminated microclimatic stabilization, and to the shallow design of the dams (20-60 cm actual depth versus 60-130 cm planned), which limited their capacity for thermal buffering. These findings demonstrate that while drain-blocking dams can effectively restore hydrological functioning, associated vegetation clearance and suboptimal dam design can introduce thermal instability, increasing vulnerability to warming and drying cycles. Restoration planning should therefore integrate microclimatic considerations, minimize vegetation removal, and ensure adequate dam depth to enhance thermal regulation.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10508 - Physical geography

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Science of the Total Environment

ISSN

0048-9697

e-ISSN

1879-1026

Volume of the periodical

1001

Issue of the periodical within the volume

October

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

180510

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105015993085