Land
Transforming carbon landscape monitoring through space technologies
Satellite data, combined with regional sensor networks, is revolutionising how we monitor and manage carbon landscapes. These advanced technologies provide a comprehensive, real-time view of ecosystems, enabling precise and effective interventions to optimise land use and enhance climate resilience.
Satellite woodland management
Satellite data offers a “bird’s eye view” of woodlands and other ecosystems, empowering land managers to:
- Monitor water table depths and soil moisture: Critical for agriculture, food production, and ecosystem health.
- Analyse vegetation health: Detect and address stressors such as drought, disease, or pest infestations before they escalate.
- Evaluate carbon storage capacity: Identify areas with high carbon sequestration potential to maximise environmental benefits.
These insights are enhancing land management practices, making them more sustainable and resilient.
Actionable solutions for woodland management
Satellite data delivers practical tools for:
- Sustainable forest management: Monitoring tree canopy, growth rates, and overall health to guide long-term stewardship.
- Planting and felling strategies: Tracking tree cover, windfalls, and disease outbreaks to inform reforestation and harvesting plans.
- Biodiversity conservation: Identifying critical habitats and planning interventions to support wildlife populations and enhance ecosystem balance.
By integrating satellite data with local expertise, land managers can build resilient ecosystems and address environmental challenges with unmatched precision and efficiency. These cutting-edge technologies are ushering in a new era of sustainable woodland management, aligning ecological health with climate goals.
Sector benefits
- Forestry: Track tree growth, logging activities, and forest health for sustainable management.
- Carbon offset companies: Monitor tree cover for carbon sequestration projects.
- Conservationists: Protect forest ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Construction: Urban planning, monitor tree cover for urban greening projects to improve air quality and reduce heat islands.
Peatland performance: a critical climate priority
The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan highlights peatland restoration as a cornerstone of its climate strategy. Covering around 20% of Scotland, peatlands act as vital carbon sinks, storing the equivalent of 140 years’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions.
However, an estimated 80% of Scotland’s peatlands are degraded, releasing more carbon than they capture.
Restoring peatlands offers far-reaching benefits, including:
- Enhanced carbon capture to combat climate change.
- Improved water quality, reducing the impact of pollution.
- Mitigation of flooding and drought risks.
- Enrichment of habitats that support rare plants, insects, and wildlife.
Satellite Peatland Performance
Satellites are powerful, cost-effective tools to establish data baselines, monitor progress, and evaluate the long-term performance of peatland restoration efforts. These technologies enable the monitoring of critical indicators, including:
- Measuring water table depths: A key measure of peatland health and hydrology.
- Tracking carbon: Tracking both carbon storage and emissions across vast landscapes.
- Identifying priority areas: that require urgent intervention for restoration.
Satellites have a role in helping to validate carbon credits specified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Peatland Carbon Code. By monitoring hydrology, vegetation, biodiversity, and carbon balance, land managers can ensure restoration efforts meet rigorous standards while maximising environmental and economic returns.
With satellite-driven insights, Scotland can accelerate the restoration of its peatlands, unlocking their full potential as carbon sinks and vital ecosystems. These innovations bring scalability, precision, and efficiency to peatland management, ensuring a sustainable future.
Sector benefits
The following sector-specific benefits show how our environmental data services deliver value across diverse industries, enabling more informed decision-making and sustainable resource management:
- Conservationists. Restore peatlands for biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
- Government agencies. Track the success of restoration projects for environmental policies.
- Carbon offset companies - to monitor carbon capture in peatlands for offsetting schemes.
- Landowners. Manage peatland for environmental benefits and compliance with land use regulations.
- Conservation groups. Monitor species health and habitats to track biodiversity loss (e.g. WWF, IUCN).
Professor Jens-Arne Subke explains why restoring peatland is so essential.
Contact us
Let’s discuss how we can support your organisation.