Assessing L-band SAR modes for commercial forest management

The use of remote sensing in UK forestry has previously been limited to Interpretation of aerial photographs. One new technique which is near commercial realisation is Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Various approaches to using SAR data exist. This paper demonstrates the use of dual-baseline coherence to classify a forested landscape to improve upon a basic backscatter intensity approach, and to give an indication of vegetation density. It is shown that enhancements to the classification are possible, although a few inconsistencies are highlighted. SAR has the capabilities to aid commercial forest management, through complimenting and enhancing current practices, although further research is required to fully quantify the value.