Feasibility of multi-temporal interferometric SAR data for stand-level estimation of boreal forest stem volume

The feasibility of interferometric SAR (INSAR) coherence observations for stem volume (biomass) retrieval is investigated by applying coherence data determined from 14 ERS-1 and ERS-2 C-band SAR image pairs. The image set covers a single forested test area in Finland, and both summer (snow-free) and winter conditions are represented. The data set enabled (a) the study of stem volume retrieval performance under varying conditions, (b) the analysis of the seasonal behavior of interferometric coherence, and (c) the determination of the accuracy characteristics of empirical (nonlinear) coherence modeling. Additionally, a new technique to estimate forest stem volume from INSAR data was developed based on constrained iterative inversion of the applied empirical model. The results indicate that the usability of winter images with snow-covered terrain is superior to that of images obtained under summer conditions. The applied empirical model appears to be adequate for describing the stand-wise coherence of boreal forest. Hence, a practical stem volume estimation method can be established based on it. The highest correlation coefficient between the estimated stem volume and the ground truth stem volume showed values as high as r=0.9 and a relative RMSE level of 48% was obtained, respectively.