The dependence of polarimetric decomposition parameters on biophysical forest parameters, frequency and methodology

The increasing availability of fully polarimetric SAR data provides a large potential for the assessment of biophysical forest parameters. Aiming at an inversion of polarimetric parameters into forest parameters, this study shows the sensitivity of polarimetric decomposition theorems (Pauli- and H-Ialpha decompositions) to biophysical forest parameters, especially forest density. Effects of non-biophysical parameters on the estimation of decomposition parameters are also shown. The investigations were carried out on fully polarimetric data at L-band (1.3 GHz) and P-band (350 MHz) acquired in 2003 in a preAlpine region in Switzerland with the German E-SAR (Experimental SAR) platform.