Mapping forest canopy height using TanDEM-X DSM and airborne LiDAR DTM

This study assesses the potential of single-pass TanDEM-X interferometric SAR (InSAR) data to map forest canopy height, when a corresponding accurate digital terrain model (DTM) is available. In the proposed method, the forest canopy height model (CHM) is extracted by subtracting an airborne lidar DTM from the TanDEM-X digital surface model (DSM). We showed that the TanDEM-X coherence is influenced by local incidence angles and tree basal area. These factors should be taken into account when estimating forest canopy height using TanDEM-X combined to lidar data.