UAV Remote Sensing Can Reveal the Effects of Low‐Impact Seismic Lines on Surface Morphology, Hydrology, and Methane (CH₄) Release in a Boreal Treed Bog

Abstract

Peatlands are globally significant stores of soil carbon, where local methane (CH4) emissions are strongly linked to water table position and microtopography. Historically, these factors have been difficult to measure in the field, constraining our capacity to observe local patterns of variability. In this paper, we show how remote sensing surveys conducted from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms can be used to map microtopography and depth to water over large areas with good accuracy, paving the way for spatially explicit estimates of CH4 emissions. This approach enabled us to observe—for the first time—the effects of low‐impact seismic lines (LIS; petroleum exploration corridors) on surface morphology and CH4 emissions in a treed‐bog ecosystem in northern Alberta, Canada. Through compaction, LIS lines were found to flatten the observed range in microtopographic elevation by 46 cm and decrease mean depth to water by 15.4 cm, compared to surrounding undisturbed conditions. These alterations are projected to increase CH4 emissions by 20–120% relative to undisturbed areas in our study area, which translates to a total rise of 0.011–0.027 kg CH4 day−1 per linear kilometer of LIS (~2 m wide). The ~16 km of LIS present at our 61 ha study site were predicted to boost CH4 emissions by 20–70 kg between May and September 2016.

Surface melt and the importance of water flow – an analysis based on high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data for an Arctic glacier

“…Structure from motion (SfM) is widely used across a range of disciplines for reconstructing topography using imagery from the aforementioned sources (e.g. James and Robson, 2014;Watson et al, 2017;Lovitt et al, 2018;Bash et al, 2018). Employing SfM, Watson et al (2017) use multiple reconstructions of a debris-covered glacier to measure seasonal ice cliff retreat from terrestrial photographs, including spatial variation in rates across individual cliff faces.…”

Determining Subarctic Peatland Vegetation Using an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

“…High-resolution localized image collection coupled with field-based classification efforts is necessary to provide cover class and error estimates at scales useful for understanding permafrost collapse, thermokarst pond development, and vegetation change in high northern latitude ecosystems [22,23]. Because of recent developments of smaller GPS systems, gyroscopes, magnets to drive motors, miniaturization of sensors, and increases in data storage, there have been new avenues in the deployment of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to study the environment [24].…”

Comparison of LiDAR and Digital Aerial Photogrammetry for Characterizing Canopy Openings in the Boreal Forest of Northern Alberta

“…Thus, canopy openings support the process of regenerating forest vegetation, and help maintain meaningful biodiversity within the forest ecosystem [11][12][13]. The altered physical structure also modifies spatial movement/habitat selection of fauna [14], influences hydrological processes [6], and affects local carbon cycling [15].…”