Electromagnetic simulations of radar backscatter from tropical forests: Effects of bio/geo-physical parameters

This paper deals with the modelling of time series of polarimetric backscattering and temporal coherence of a tropical forest at P Band. The experimental data show that in the dry season daily cycles of both observables are present and that they are linked to the wind and to the dielectric changes of the canopy. To retrieve these observations, a descriptive model for the forest and an electromagnetic model for the scattering are used. First, canonical studies are carried out about single branches scattering behavior with the goal of highlighting further results. Then, dielectric constant variation and displacements due to the wind are applied to the model and it is shown that they reproduce efficiently the experimental time series.