A major new project aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) can “monitor and protect” Ireland’s peatlands and boost biodiversity through peatland restoration.
The project will use drones, satellites, and “citizen scientists” to develop a country-wide map to identify peatland areas that are under “threat from erosion, exploitation and climate change” and to identify areas of high conservation value.
The €200,000 AI2Peat Project is a collaboration between CeADAR, the centre for AI, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and iCRAG – the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre in Applied Geosciences.
According to Dr. Oisín Boydell, director of applied research at CeADAR, peatlands are a very important natural ecosystem in Ireland.
“The specific purpose of AI2Peat is to protect and monitor these habitats, but our goal is to influence policy around environmental protection, biodiversity, and climate change.
“Ultimately, we’re interested in assisting organisations like the NPWS which are struggling to protect these vast and remote spaces.”
The project team has highlighted that peatlands store “vast amounts of carbon in their soil and aquatic plant life” and play a key role in maintaining the biodiversity level of the countryside and protecting urban areas from flooding.
Peatlands
But they have also warned that over decades, “the process of draining peatlands for farming, afforestation and extracting fuel for industrial and domestic use has turned these areas from carbon sinks to carbon emitters”.
They believe that the new AI-supported project will be able to deliver “insights” into why and what has resulted in peatlands that are degrading and provide possible solutions for “preserving” the environment.
According to Dr. Shane Regan, a senior scientist with the NPWS, there is an ongoing “challenge” to protect the country’s peatland habitats.
“The majority of these peatlands are in poor condition and are large sources of carbon emissions.
“Improvements in the ways we can remotely detect high-quality areas for protection, and areas that can potentially be restored with intervention measures, will be enormously beneficial and help direct financial resources to areas where they are most needed.”