Understanding the relation between the forest biomass and the radar backscattered signals

Numerical results are presented to improve understanding of the observed correlation of radar backscatter with canopy biomass in forests. The calculations employ a model developed by Karam el which is based on the solution of the vector radiative transfer equations and operates over a wide range of frequencies. The simulations use data collected over the Landes forest for canopy parameters. The numerical results suggest that the correlation with biomass observed at P-band occurs because of scattering within the forest crown where the contribution from branches is dominant and that the cross polarized signal may be the more sensitive choice for monitoring biomass