Quantifying Subsidence in Tropical Peatlands

Large carbon stocks reside below ground in tropical peatlands. Across Southeast Asia, these peatlands are being deforested and drained, and the loss of long-term carbon stocks results in CO2 emissions and widespread subsidence. Tropical peatland subsidence has been monitored at some locations by poles anchored beneath the peat. InSAR now offers the possibility for large-scale mapping of peatland subsidence, across different land uses, and in remote areas. In this chapter, we review applications of InSAR in tropical peatlands including (a) tracking localized subsidence resulting from urbanization and development, (b) opportunities for monitoring peatland restoration, (c) mapping regional-scale subsidence, and (d) quantifying CO2 emissions from degraded peatlands. These studies have overcome challenges specific to tropical peatlands including dense tropical vegetation, large seasonal variations in soil moisture, and fires, demonstrating the potential for large-scale monitoring of subsidence and CO2 emissions from tropical peatlands.