C-band microwave scattering from small balsam fir

An experiment that examined the C-band backscattering characteristics of conifer trees was conducted using a truck-mounted scatterometer. Small (1-m tall) balsam fir (Abies balsamea) trees were arranged at various equidistant spacings on a platform to present canopies of varying density to the radar. C-band backscattering measurements of a range of canopy densities were acquired under different polarizations and incidence angles. In addition, physical measurements of the trees were made including leaf area index, biomass, leaf and branch angle distributions, and dielectric constant. A backscatter model was implemented using measured canopy attributes and showed close agreement with scatterometer measurements over the range of canopy densities