| Wetlands are one of the most sensitive ecosystems, as even slight changes to climate and water distribution can alter their natural functions. Peatlands are a unique wetland in that organic material has economic importance as well as ecological functions. As peatlands are vast and often in remote, inaccessible regions, remote sensing tools can monitor change and facilitate management of these resources. This thesis discusses the potential of remote sensing technologies for monitoring and mapping peatlands in northern climates. Background research includes a discussion of peatland characteristics, remote sensing technologies, and a review of previous wetland research. These are followed by a multi-temporal and multi-sensor analysis of peatlands in Goose Bay, Labrador. Detailed analyses include: backscatter/reflectance, polarization, temporal and separability/texture analysis.; Landsat data provided information on vegetation type and composition with most information derived from the Mid-IR wavelengths; whereas radar imagery provided information on water levels and texture images separated individual wetland sties. This work demonstrates the potential of remote sensing for assessing peatland ecosystems, and will be of particular interest to remote sensing researchers and wetland managers. It shows how information about water and vegetation characteristics within wetland environments can be derived using optical and radar remote sensing techniques. |
