Mapping floodplain vegetation in the central Amazon basin with multi-temporal SIR-C data

Summary form only. Seasonally inundated forests and floating meadows occupying the floodplains of large Amazonian rivers are both extensive (approx. 300000 km/sup 2/) and ecologically significant. In addition to their role in biogeochemical processes, floodplain communities are an important element of Amazonian biodiversity. Because ground access to these often cloud-covered areas is very difficult and because they span a large geographic range, floodplain plant communities of the central Amazon have not been well characterized except in a few small study areas. Most available vegetation maps use categories too general for many ecological applications, and do not reflect the seasonal variability typical on floodplains. The purpose of this study was to test the capability of multi-frequency synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to map Amazon floodplain communities using categories that would be useful for both community and systems studies.