Tropical Forest Mapping at Regional Scale using the GRFM SAR Mosaics over Amazon in South America
Main focus of the work described in this thesis is on the estimation of tropical
vegetation cover using as data source continental scale Synthetic Aperture Radar
(SAR) mosaics at 100 m spatial resolution. These radar mosaics were acquired over
the South America tropical belt in a spatially and temporally contiguous way by the
National Agency for Space Development of Japan (NASDA) JERS-1 instrument in
the context of the Global Rain Forest Mapping (GRFM) project. Raw data were
processed by the NASA Alaska SAR Facility (ASF). Mosaics were assembled by the
California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The techniques historically adopted for forest monitoring are introduced in
Chapter 1, emphasizing how earth observations by satellite provide a unique
technology to acquire quantitative information on forest ecosystems at regional scale.
Several remote sensing initiatives were launched in the early 1990 s for forest
monitoring at regional/global scale. Positive and negative aspects of these approaches
are discussed. From this analysis the rationale for a more intensive usage of SAR
remote sensing emerges together with the technical problems that historically
hindered SAR usage for global scale problems. The GRFM project can be considered
the first international endeavor that has overcome these technical constraints.
SGRENZAROLI Matteo;
HOEKMAN D. H.;
DE GRANDI Gianfranco;
2013-10-15
JRC
JRC34345
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC34345,
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