Addressing critical influences on L-band radar backscatter for improved estimates of basal area and change

L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscatter intensity is sensitive to land cover and can be used to estimate vegetation measures such as basal area (BA) and biomass. However, the estimation of BA, and especially change in BA, can be hampered by the influences upon backscatter of external factors such as imaging geometry, terrain topology, prevailing moisture conditions and even SAR sensor characteristics. This paper describes a method of reducing the adverse effects of such extraneous influences on vegetation and change estimates derived from single-channel SAR data. Empirical corrections for terrain slope and cross-track tendencies were applied and linear least squares difference minimization used to normalize the backscatter differences between scenes. The method was applied to state-wide coverage of L-band, fine-mode, HV polarization Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array L-band SAR (PALSAR) data over New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The data were acquired with different sensors over two “observational epochs”: ALOS PALSAR in 2009 and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 in 2016/17. The SAR datasets presented significant variations in backscatter intensity beyond those attributable to changes in vegetation cover. The corrective procedures resulted in improved uniformity of observed backscatter dependence on vegetation. Variations in backscattering coefficient between swaths were reduced by as much as 1.75 dB and 25% of the standard deviation in mean backscattering coefficients in common areas and at near- and far-range. This corresponded to a correction in BA estimate of 4.4 m2 ha−1. The method was observed to reduce ambiguities in regrowth estimates at swath boundaries and correct estimates of BA change by as much as 30% over large areas. The resulting estimates of 7-year change in BA provide spatially explicit forest structural information that is assisting in monitoring changes in woody vegetation across NSW. •Residual terrain correction ensures the same mean backscatter for similar slopes.•Internal matching reduces the variations in backscatter due to terrain and moisture.•Cross-sensor matching places data for each observational epoch on a common footing.•Corrections make possible wide-area spatially consistent estimates of basal area.•Observed increase in basal area provides a surrogate measure of regrowth.