Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Accuracy of an IFSAR-derived digital terrain model under a conifer forest canopy.

Author: Andersen, Hans-Erik; Reutebuch, Stephen E.; McGaughey, Robert J.

Date: 2005

Source: Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing. 31(4): 283-288

Description: Accurate digital terrain models (DTMs) are necessary for a variety of forest resource management applications, including watershed management, timber harvest planning, and fire management. Traditional methods for acquiring topographic data typically rely on aerial photogrammetry, where measurement of the terrain surface below forest canopy is difficult and error prone. The recent emergence of airborne P-band interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR), a highresolution, microwave remote sensing technology. has the potential to provide significantly more accurate terrain models in forested areas. Low-frequency, P-band radar energy physically penetrates through the vegetation canopy and reflects from the underlying terrain surface, allowing for accurate measurement of the terrain surface elevation even in areas with dense forest cover. In this study, the accuracy of a high-resolution DTM derived from P-band IFSAR data collected over a mountainous forest area in western Washington State was rigorously evaluated through a comparison with 347 topographic checkpoints measured with total station survey equipment and collected under a variety of canopy densities. The mean DTM error was -0.28 ± 2.59 m (mean ± standard deviation), and the root mean squared error (RMSE) was 2.6 m. DTM elevation errors for four canopy cover classes were -0.67 ± 1.20 m (RMSE = 1.38 m) for clearcut, -0.62 ± 1.00 m (RMSE = 1.18 m) for heavily thinned, -0.41 ± 2.32 m (RMSE = 2.36 m) for lightly thinned, and 0.20 ± 3.3 1 m (RMSE = 3.32 m) for uncut.

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Citation

Andersen, Hans-Erik; Reutebuch, Stephen E.; McGaughey, Robert J.  2005.  Accuracy of an IFSAR-derived digital terrain model under a conifer forest canopy..   Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing. 31(4): 283-288.