Monitoring forest management activties using airborne lidar and ALOS PALSAR

ALOS PALSAR uses L band which is related with volume scattering. The volume scattering is the reflection comes from the surface and the inside of canopy. Forest management activities can be monitored using PALSAR L-band for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). But it is still unknown how the biomass changed by the thinning (forest management) influences the backscattering coefficients. In this study, the change of stem volume (biomass) was computed and mapped using multi-temporal airborne lidar data in wide area. The stem volume using field measured tree parameters were interpolated and mapped by the airborne lidar data and the mapped biomass was used as the ground truth for radar image to see the polarization change caused by the thinning. The polarization axis of HV/HH backscattering coefficients is shifted in 9.8 degrees. This axis change is a useful indicator for the end member analysis using HV/HH polarization.