On the coupling of backscatter models with tree growth models. 1. A realistic description of the canopy using the AMAP tree growth model

The authors present a method using the AMAP architectural tree growth model to describe the 3D canopy architecture, towards forest backscatter modelling. This method allows to 1) fully describe a tree as a collection of dielectric cylinders and 2) obtain histograms and statistics of the cylinder parameters within the canopy layers. The usefulness of this method is illustrated in southern France on Austrian pine trees, where the parameters in the crown layer show a variability with age and canopy depth that should be considered in RT modelling