Estimation of red pine tree height using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and ancillary data

In this paper accurate tree height retrieval for red pine and Austrian pine is demonstrated using C-band Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) height and ancillary data. The tree height retrieval algorithm is based on modeling uniform tree stands with a single layer of randomly-oriented vegetation particles. For such scattering media, the scattering phase center (SPC) height, as measured by SRTM, is a function of tree height, incidence angle, and the extinction coefficient of the medium. The extinction coefficient for uniform tree stands is calculated as a function of tree height and density using allometric equations and a fractal tree model. The algorithm outputs tree height estimates that are significantly closer to the true tree height than the raw SRTM SPC height values obtained from the height difference between the SRTM data and the National Elevation Dataset (NED). The accuracy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated using SRTM and TOPSAR data for 15 red pine and Austrian pine stands.