Tree height extraction using polarimetric SAR interferometry

SAR interferograms allow the extraction of the height difference between the corresponding effective scattering centers. The performance as well as the accuracy of the different approaches is compared using available ground truth data from the region. The authors evaluate the potential of polarimetric SAR interferometry concerning the estimation of boreal forest canopy height. They evaluate the potential of different coherent polarimetric decomposition techniques in order to extract the forest canopy height. For this they use fully polarimetric interferometric data acquired by the shuttle imaging radar SIR-C/X-SAR collected during October 8-9, 1994, over the river Selenga delta located at the SE shore of Lake Baikal in Buryatia, Russia. The work described is part of the EC INTAS project “Establishing a regional system for ecological monitoring in the Lake Baikal region” (INTAS-97-1040). The results of this study will be used to generate a series of ecological maps, which will provide an overview of the current state of natural environment and the levels of pollution within this environment. Among other objectives, forest and non-forest environments are studied using data acquired through airborne or satellite-based imaging systems, including radar systems such as ERS-1, ERS-2 and SIR-C/X-SAR and visible/infrared systems such as the Russian multispectral sensor RESURS. This data shall be used to develop and implement a methodology tailored to the Baikal region for remote diagnostic of forests