Peatlands around Pärnu, Estonia
The landscape around the city of Pärnu, in south-western Estonia, is composed of extensive forests, farmland, and peatlands, including the wetlands of the Soomaa National Park. Peatlands have waterlogged soils in which partially decomposed plant material accumulates over centuries, forming peat and storing carbon which would otherwise contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Peatlands are important ecosystems in the context of climate change as they provide long-term carbon storage.
In this image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 7 September, forests and farmland appear in varying shades of green. The brown patches scattered across the landscape mostly correspond to peat bogs. The geometric reddish-brown areas correspond to drained land used for peat extraction.
The EU Nature Restoration Regulation sets targets for restoring drained peatlands under agricultural use. Copernicus Sentinel data support the monitoring of vegetation, water conditions, and land-use changes over time, providing information relevant for peatland restoration efforts.
