Power spectrum analysis of SAR data for spatial forest characterization in Amazonia

• Published in: International journal of remote sensing Vol. 26; no. 13; pp. 2851 - 2864
• Main Authors: Neeff, T., Dutra, L. V., Dos Santos, J. R., Freitas, C. C., Araujo, L. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group Ltd 01.07.2005; Taylor and Francis
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Techniques; Teledetection and vegetation maps; South America; America; Amazon Basin; Characterization; Forests; Spectrum analysis; Power spectrum
• ISSN: 0143-1161; 1366-5901
• DOI: 10.1080/01431160500104301

Power spectrum analysis was used for the analysis of spatial forest features from airborne X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in the Brazilian Amazon. Spectral estimates were arrived at empirically by periodograms and correlograms, and from autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) models. The spectral estimates derived from SAR data were validated by those derived from ground data with locational match. The results obtained by ARMA modelling revealed particularly good correspondence between remote sensing and reference data: repeating patterns at pixel level could be detected in the images. These patterns were shown to arise from canopy structure and distances between major tree individuals; and thus allowed the extraction of parameters of spatial forest structure, particularly of forest density. The method was applied to an example area of primary tropical forest, and its spatial patterns were modelled.