Application of quadpolarimetric TerraSAR-X data for landcover characterization in tropical regions - A case study in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Tropics of the earth show a rapid change of land cover and a strong need to quantify changes continuously. With TerraSAR-X (TSX) a SAR radar-satellite-system operating in the X-Band and with experimental full-polarimetric imaging capability is available. Present work evaluates the statistically separability of CLOUDE and YAMAGUCHI decomposition parameters derived from TSX quad polarimetric StripMap data for several land cover classes over an Indonesian test site. Analyzed decomposition features show in general a more differentiated response of the selected classes´ feature-values, than the pure amplitudes. The decomposition parameters reveal a good applicability to characterize general land cover classes, such as Water bodies, Wetlands, Grasslands or Wooded areas. Since the penetration depth of X-Band from forested areas is very low, the differentiation of high biomass classes is limited.