Monitoring agricultural land preparation activities with ERS-1 SAR data

It is shown how information derived from multi-temporal ERS-1 SAR imagery acquired during the fall, winter and spring seasons can be incorporated in a land use assessment and monitoring scheme for agricultural areas in Europe. ERS-1 data analysis is supported by the (inverse) use of backscattering models, which permits the separation of soil moisture induced backscattering variation from backscattering change due to soil roughness transitions or changes in vegetation covers. Transitions in soil roughness are then used to delineate land preparation activities which relate to cropping practices in the next growing season. The classified off-season imagery is compared with the crop maps of the preceding and following growing seasons. Initial results for one of the MARS agricultural sample sites (Great Driffield, United Kingdom) are presented.