A Matchstick Model of microwave backscatter from a forest: A change of regime

In this paper we present a forest scattering scenario consisting of solely vertical stems. Stems are the primary volume stores of forests; this model therefore simplifies the forest make-up to represent these major scatterers. This model representation is known as the “Matchstick Model” and is used as a comparison to backscatter data resulting from the combination of macro-ecology with a numerical scattering model (RT2). The “Matchstick Model” provides SAR scattering trends based on equations for the Optical and Rayleigh scattering regimes and presents forest scattering as a combination of the two. Conclusions state that saturation is a consequence of basal area and thinning limitations and ultimately that backscatter is not directly proportional to stand volume, even in the simple case of a single layer of stems.