Pine forest investigation using high resolution P-band Pol-InSAR data

A Pol-InSAR dataset acquired at P-band over a maritime pine forest (Nezer forest of Landes, France) has been investigated and compared with tree structural ground measurements in order to identify scatterers associated with elementary scattering mechanisms in the canopy layer. Since this managed for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote sensing of environment 2011-11, Vol.115 (11), p.2897-2905
Main Authors: Garestier, Franck, Dubois-Fernandez, Pascale, Champion, Isabelle, Le Toan, Thuy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canopies
Channels
Continental interfaces, environment
Density
Environmental Sciences
Forestry
Forests
Global Changes
Grounds
Interferometry
Pine
Polarimetry
SAR
Scattering
Sciences of the Universe
Trees
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Summary:A Pol-InSAR dataset acquired at P-band over a maritime pine forest (Nezer forest of Landes, France) has been investigated and compared with tree structural ground measurements in order to identify scatterers associated with elementary scattering mechanisms in the canopy layer. Since this managed forest is constituted by different height stands, it allows to investigate mechanism change in the vertical direction during the forest growth. It has been observed that VV channel was the most elevated, which can be accounted for a maximum attenuation in the vertical direction and partially for the presence of sub-vertical branches in the top canopy layer, and that this channel was the most sensitive to the tree density in reason of an important ground reflectivity. The most pure double-bounce scattering mechanism component is received in HH–VV channel where the corresponding phase center reaches the ground level for large Diameter at Breast Height. It is also supposed that HH channel, which receives double bounce backscatter, was affected by the sub-horizontal primary branch development, which induces an elevation of the phase center over oldest trees while tree density diminution enhances backscatter from the ground level. Finally, the crosspolar channel appeared the less perturbed by the tree density than VV channel since it receives predominantly the canopy contribution. ► P-band Pol-InSAR data acquired over a temperate forest is investigated. ► Pol-InSAR information is compared with structural measurements. ► Scattering mechanisms are identified.
ISSN:0034-4257
1879-0704
DOI:10.1016/j.rse.2010.08.028