Global wetland loss reconstruction over 1700-2020

Three datasets reconstructing global wetland loss over a 320-year period from 1700 to 2020. The data includes national and subnational statistics on drained areas and peat extraction, plus regional loss estimates as geospatial polygons. This reconstruction was produced by Etienne Fluet-Chouinard of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Use Cases

• Modeling historical carbon emissions from peatland loss based on peat extraction rate data.
• Analyzing regional trends in wetland conversion for cropland and forestry based on land use type columns.
• Mapping cumulative wetland area loss over time using gridded and polygon geospatial data.
• Comparing national versus subnational administrative unit data on drainage and conversion.

Strengths

• Covers a long-term historical period from 1700 to 2020.
• Includes data for four distinct land use types: cropland, forestry, peat extraction, and wetland cultivation.
• Provides data at multiple scales: national, subnational, regional polygons, and a gridded reconstruction.

Limitations

• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Collection Method

Reconstruction from input data, modeling, and calibration; scripts are publicly available on GitHub.

Time Range

1700-2020

Freshness

unknown

Geography

Global