Tracking the Colour of Peatlands project

Using the power of citizen science to monitor the health of wetland environments
Scott Davidson tracking the colour of peatlands project - image of a green peatland against a blue sky
Title: Tracking the Colour of Peatlands
Funding: Ducks Unlimited Canada; Sustainable Earth Institute 
Duration: 2021–ongoing
University of Plymouth staff: Dr Scott J. Davidson (PI)
Partners: The Wetland Centre, Alberta, Canada; RSPB Forsinard Flows, Scotland; Eden Project, Cornwall.
Scott Davidson at Goss Moor using his smartphone on a dedicated cradle next to peatland.

Using citizen science to monitor peatlands

Phenology is the study of the timing and seasonal changes in a plant's life cycle events, specifically when plants bud, grow green leaves, flower and fruit, as well as when their leaves turn brown and shed. Studying the ‘greenness’ of plants is important, as this can be linked to how well the ecosystem is functioning and whether it is a carbon sink or not.
This project aims to monitor changes in peatland green leaf phenology (how the peatlands change colour over the course of the year) using smartphone photography. Members of the public (citizen scientists) will be able to take fixed-point photographs using specially designed phone cradles at a wide range of wetland project sites. Analysis of the photos will then give us an indication of the health of these important wetland ecosystems and their resilience to disturbance.

We can use smartphone RGB photos to understand how these plants 'green up' over the summer, the timing of when they hit their maximum greenness and how they start to turn brown in the autumn. The photos will be used to analyse the change in growth over the growing season.

Scott DavidsonScott Davidson
Lecturer in Ecosystem Resilience

Project methodology

Using specialised RGB colour analysis software, photos from peatland sites can be used to monitor changes over time.

Tracking the colour of peatlands phone cradle signage graphic; text on graphic reads "Help us track plant colours in peatlands! We can use smartphone photos to understand how plants green up over the summer, the timing when they a re at their maximum greenness and how they start to turn brown in the autumn. why is it important? Understanding how plants can change over the course of the year can give is insight into how peatlands function (i.e. linking how green they are to much carbon they store) and how this might change under future climate change." The image shows a colour changing forest through the seasons, follow by University of Plymouth and Wetland Resilience Research Group logos. Public information
 Specially-created signs and smartphone cradles are distributed to wetland and peatland sites around the world, with detailed instructions on how citizen scientists can take part in the project.

Example of a peatland sign and phone cradle next to a peatland. On location
 The cradles and signs are affixed to heavy-duty posts and deployed in a location with public access, often at the end of a boardwalk or next to a firm path to ensure that the cradles will be able to remain stable.

Forsinard flows peatland phenology showing colour changes over a season. Citizen science
 Members of the public can then use the cradles to take and submit photos like these ones, from RSPB Forsinard Flows, in Scotland. Dr Scott Davidson is then able to analyse the colour values to monitor change over time.

Next steps

The initial phase of this project focused on three main sites – the Boreal Wetland Centre, in Alberta, Canada; RSPB Forsinard Flows, in Scotland; and the Eden Project, in Cornwall, UK.
Following the successful completion of phase one, this initiative is now expanding to 16 new sites, with phone cradles and signage being sent out to additional sites in Canada and the UK, as well as sites in Australia, Finland, Ireland, Germany, France and Sweden. Dr Scott Davidson hopes that this work can help to raise awareness of the importance of wetland and peatland conservation and help to ensure increased protection, restoration and management for these environments so that they can continue to offer viable nature-based solutions to climate change.
 

Project partners

Tracking the Colour of Peatlands phone cradle sites dotted across a world map.
  • Boreal Wetland Centre, Canada
  • Cumbria Wildlife Trust, UK
  • Eden Project, UK
  • Government of New Brunswick, Canada
  • La Trobe University/Australian Alps National Park, Australia
  • Natural Resources Wales, UK
  • NatureScot, UK
  • Peatland Action, UK
  • RSPB Forsinard Flows, UK
  • Société de conservation de la Grande Plée Bleue (SGPB), Canada
  • Store Mosse National Park, Sweden
  • Torrensou National Park, Finland
Temperate intact peatland

Plymouth Peatlands Research Group

Investigating the link between historic and current land-use change, climate change and disturbance, our peatland research falls into the thematic areas of peatland ecosystem services, restoration practice, and impacts of disturbance regimes on peatland function. We work with key stakeholders to drive positive change in restoration, monitoring and management, and provide specialist advice and input into planning for the integration of cultural services within peatlands and forested wetlands.

Sustainable Earth Institute

The Sustainable Earth Institute is about promoting a new way of thinking about the future of our world.
We bring researchers together with businesses, community groups and individuals to develop cutting-edge research and innovative approaches that build resilience to global challenges. 
We link diverse research areas across the University including science, engineering, arts, humanities, health and business.
 
Baobab tree in Madagascar