Mapping the distribution and condition of mountain peatlands in Colombia for sustainable ecosystem management

High mountain peatlands in Colombia play a crucial role in water regulation, store significant carbon, and yet remain poorly studied and threatened. The lack of a comprehensive national peatland map hinders effective management. Our objectives were to create a national mountain peatland map for Colombia, assess peatland distribution, quantify degraded pasture peatlands, and evaluate soil carbon percentages and bulk density in the top 40 cm of mountain peatlands soils. We developed and compared three national-scale maps using field validation, Sentinel-2 imagery, SAR data, and topographic variables as inputs to a Random Forest classifier, each reflecting a different grouping of the study area. The Subregional map classifies four smaller subregions individually and merges them, the Regional groups two larger regions, and the National classifies the entire study area. Mapping 4.8 million hectares, we found peatlands occupy approximately 225,000 to 250,000 ha. About 13-15% are pasture peatlands, even within protected areas, 7-8% have been disturbed. Soil analyses up to 40 cm show consistently high carbon percentage in undisturbed peatlands, whereas pasture peatlands exhibit lower carbon and higher bulk density, revealing detrimental effects caused by drainage and livestock. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted conservation and restoration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect water resources, and strengthen climate mitigation strategies. Future research should refine peatland depth estimates to enhance the accuracy of peatland carbon stock assessments, leverage all three maps to improve training data in areas with substantial discrepancies, and use emerging technologies to better detect unaccounted peatland degradation.