Assessing changes in the above ground biomass and carbon stocks of Lidder valley,Kashmir Himalaya,India

The changes in the land use and land cover (LULC), above ground biomass (AGB) and the associated above ground carbon (AGC) stocks were assessed in Lidder Valley, Kashmir Himalaya using satellite data (1980–2013), allometric equations and phytosociological data. Change detection analysis of LULC, comprising of eight vegetation and five non-vegetation types, indicated that 6% (74.5 km²) of the dense evergreen forest has degraded. Degraded forest and settlement increased by 20 and 52.8 km², respectively. Normalized difference vegetation index was assessed and correlated with the field-based biomass estimates to arrive at best-fit models for remotely sensed AGB estimates for 2005 and 2013. Total loss of 1.018 Megatons of AGB and 0.5 Megatons of AGC was estimated from the area during 33-year period which would have an adverse effect on the carbon sequestration potential of the area which is already facing the brunt of climate change.     

Tree species biomass and carbon stock measurement using ground based-LiDAR

This study scrutinises the use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height at individual tree species level. LiDAR point cloud scans are collected from uniformly defined control points. The result of processed TLS data demonstrates the precise measurements of tree height and DBH by comparing it with field data (DBH, tree height, tree species and location). The average tree height and DBH obtained through TLS measurements were 9.44?m and 43.30?cm, respectively. A linear equation between TLS derived parameters and field measured values were established, which gave the coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.79 and 0.96 for tree height and DBH, respectively. Further, these parameters were used to calculate above ground biomass (AGB) for individual tree species by considering a non-destructive approach. The total AGB and carbon stock from 80 different trees are computed to be 49.601 and 22.320?tonnes, respectively.     

Predictive Analysis for Vegetation Biomass Assessment in Western Ghat Region (WG) Using Geospatial Techniques

Forests play a critical role in ecological functioning, global warming and climate change through its unique potential to capture and hold carbon (C). Biomass is one of the indicator of the status of forests hence accurate assessment and biomass mapping is important for sustainable forest management. The objectives of this study is to estimate above ground biomass (AGB) from field inventory data and to map AGB combining field inventory data, remote sensing and geo-statistical model. In the present study stratified random sampling were used for estimation of biomass in which 59 plots were laid down in different homogenous strata depending on the NDVI values for the region of Maharashtra Western Ghats. The above ground biomass from field ranged from 0.05 to 271 t-dry wt ha^?1 in which trees added maximum towards total biomass followed by shrubs and herbs. This paper evaluates the best vegetation indices to estimate biomass. This study was carried out by using Landsat TM satellite data and field inventory data in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, India. A significant correlation was observed between biomass and vegetation indices. The best fit regression equation developed from field above ground biomass and NDVI with R² value of 0.61 was used for spectral modeling to estimate the geospatial distribution of AGB in the entire region. The results of spatial predictions Geostatistical technique and remotely sensed data as auxiliary variables were compared using statistical error methods. This study employed Mean error, Root-Mean-Square error, Average Standard error and Root-Mean Square Standardized error. The ME, RMSE, Average Standard error and Root-Mean Square Standardized error was 0.078, 8.032, 7.982 and 0.967 respectively. The results showed that cokriging technique is one of the geostatistical method for spatial predictions of biomass in the studied region. The present study revealed that remote sensing technique combined with field sampling provides quick and reliable estimates of above ground biomass and carbon pool and can be used as baseline information for further temporal studies of biomass status of the region and in planning of forest and natural resources management.     

Predicting biomass dynamics at the national extent from digital aerial photogrammetry

The demand for precise mapping and monitoring of forest resources, such as above ground biomass (AGB), has increased rapidly. National accounting and monitoring of AGB requires regularly updated information based on consistent methods. While remote sensing technologies such as airborne laser scanning (ALS) and digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) have been shown to deliver the necessary 3D spatial data for AGB mapping, the capacity of repeat acquisition, remotely sensed, vegetation structure data for AGB monitoring has received less attention. Here, we use vegetation height models (VHMs) derived from repeat acquisition DAP data (with ALS terrain correction) to map and monitor woody AGB dynamics across Switzerland over 35 years (1983-2017 inclusive), using a linear least-squares regression approach. We demonstrate a consistent relationship between canopy height derived from DAP and field-based NFI measures of woody AGB across four inventory periods. Over the environmentally heterogeneous area of Switzerland, our models have a comparable predictive performance (R² = 0.54) to previous work predicting AGB based on ALS metrics. Pearson correlation coefficients between measured and predicted changes in woody AGB over time increased with shorter time gaps (< 2 years) between image capture and field-based measurements, ranging between 0.76 and 0.34. A close temporal match between field surveys and remote sensing data acquisition is thus key to reliable mapping and monitoring of AGB dynamics, especially in areas where forest management and natural disturbances trigger relatively fast canopy dynamics. We show that VHMs derived from repeat DAP capture constitute a cost effective and reliable approach to map and monitor changes in woody AGB at a national extent and can provide an important information source for national carbon accounting and monitoring of ecosystem service provisioning.     

Use of local and global maps of forest canopy height and aboveground biomass to enhance local estimates of biomass in miombo woodlands in Tanzania

Field surveys are often a primary source of aboveground biomass (AGB) data, but plot-based estimates of parameters related to AGB are often not sufficiently precise, particularly not in tropical countries. Remotely sensed data may complement field data and thus help to increase the precision of estimates and circumvent some of the problems with missing sample observations in inaccessible areas. Here, we report the results of a study conducted in a 15,867 km² area in the dry miombo woodlands of Tanzania, to quantify the contribution of existing canopy height and biomass maps to improving the precision of canopy height and AGB estimates locally. A local and a global height map and three global biomass maps, and a probability sample of 513 inventory plots were subject to analysis. Model-assisted sampling estimators were used to estimate mean height and AGB across the study area using the original maps and then with the maps calibrated with local inventory plots. Large systematic map errors – positive or negative – were found for all the maps, with systematic errors as great as 60–70 %. After being calibrated locally, the maps contributed substantially to increasing the precision of both mean height and mean AGB estimates, with relative efficiencies (variance of the field-based estimates relative to the variance of the map-assisted estimates) of 1.3–2.7 for the overall estimates. The study, although focused on a relatively small area of dry tropical forests, illustrates the potential strengths and weaknesses of existing global forest height and biomass maps based on remotely sensed data and universal prediction models. Our results suggest that the use of regional or local inventory data for calibration can substantially increase the precision of map-based estimates and their applications in assessing forest carbon stocks for emission reduction programs and policy and financial decisions.     

Above Ground Forest Phytomass Assessment in Southern Gujarat

Spectral modeling of above ground biomass (AGB) with field data collected in 48 field sites representing moist deciduous forest in Surat district is reported. Models were generated using LISS-III and MODIS data. The plot-wise field data was aggregated to MODIS pixel (250 m) using area weightages of forest/vegetation. The study reports that above ground phytomass varied from 6.13 t/ha to 389.166 t/ha while AGB phytomass estimated using area-weights for sites of 250×250 m, ranged from 5.534 t/ha to 134.082 t/ha. The contribution of bamboo in AGB has been found very high. The analysis indicated that the highest correlation between AGB phytomass and red band (R) of MODIS satellite data of October was (R²=0.7823) and R²=0.6998 with both NDVI of October data as well as NDVI_max. High correlation (R²=0.402) with IR band of February month was also found. The phytomass range obtained by using MODIS data varies from 0.147 t/ha to 182.16 t/ha. The mean biomass is 40.50 t/ha. Total biomass is 31.44 Mt. The mean Carbon density is 19.44 tC/ha in forest areas. The study is validation of region-wise spectral modeling approach that will be adopted for mapping vegetation carbon pool of the India under National Carbon Project of ISRO-Geosphere Biosphere Programme.     

Use of local and global maps of forest canopy height and aboveground biomass to enhance local estimates of biomass in miombo woodlands in Tanzania

Field surveys are often a primary source of aboveground biomass (AGB) data, but plot-based estimates of parameters related to AGB are often not sufficiently precise, particularly not in tropical countries. Remotely sensed data may complement field data and thus help to increase the precision of estimates and circumvent some of the problems with missing sample observations in inaccessible areas. Here, we report the results of a study conducted in a 15,867 km² area in the dry miombo woodlands of Tanzania, to quantify the contribution of existing canopy height and biomass maps to improving the precision of canopy height and AGB estimates locally. A local and a global height map and three global biomass maps, and a probability sample of 513 inventory plots were subject to analysis. Model-assisted sampling estimators were used to estimate mean height and AGB across the study area using the original maps and then with the maps calibrated with local inventory plots. Large systematic map errors – positive or negative – were found for all the maps, with systematic errors as great as 60–70 %. The maps contributed nothing or even negatively to the precision of mean height and mean AGB estimates. However, after being calibrated locally, the maps contributed substantially to increasing the precision of both mean height and mean AGB estimates, with relative efficiencies (variance of the field-based estimates relative to the variance of the map-assisted estimates) of 1.3–2.7 for the overall estimates. The study, although focused on a relatively small area of dry tropical forests, illustrates the potential strengths and weaknesses of existing global forest height and biomass maps based on remotely sensed data and universal prediction models. Our results suggest that the use of regional or local inventory data for calibration can substantially increase the precision of map-based estimates and their applications in assessing forest carbon stocks for emission reduction programs and policy and financial decisions.     

Potential CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Emission Due to Loss of Above Ground Biomass from the Indian Sundarban Mangroves During the Last Four Decades

Sundarban, the largest single patch of mangrove forest of the world is shared by Bangladesh (~ 60 %) and India (~ 40 %). Loss of mangrove biomass and subsequent potential emission of carbon dioxide is reported from different parts of the world. We estimated the loss of above ground mangrove biomass and subsequent potential emission of carbon dioxide in the Indian part of the Sundarban during the last four decades. The loss of mangrove area has been estimated with the help of remotely sensed data and potential emission of carbon dioxide has been evaluated with the help of published above ground biomass data of Indian Sundarban. Total loss of mangrove area was found to be 107 km² between the year 1975 and 2013. Amongst the total loss ~60 % was washed away in the water by erosion, ~ 23 % was converted into barren lands and the rest were anthropogenically transformed into other landforms. The potential carbon dioxide emission due to the degradation of above ground biomass was estimated to be 1567.98 ± 551.69 Gg during this period, which may account to 64.29 million $ in terms of the social cost of carbon. About three-forth of the total mangrove loss was found in the peripheral islands which are much more prone to erosion. Climate induced changes and anthropogenic land use change could be the major driving force behind this loss of ‘blue carbon’.     

Historical forest biomass dynamics modelled with Landsat spectral trajectories

Estimation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is informative of the role of forest ecosystems in local and global carbon budgets. There is a need to retrospectively estimate biomass in order to establish a historical baseline and enable reporting of change. In this research, we used temporal spectral trajectories to inform on forest successional development status in support of modelling and mapping of historic AGB for Mediterranean pines in central Spain. AGB generated with ground plot data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory (NFI), representing two collection periods (1990 and 2000), are linked with static and dynamic spectral data as captured by Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors over a 25 year period (1984–2009). The importance of forest structural complexity on the relationship between AGB and spectral vegetation indices is revealed by the analysis of wavelet transforms. Two-dimensional (2D) wavelet transforms support the identification of spectral trajectory patterns of forest stands that in turn, are associated with traits of individual NFI plots, using a flexible algorithm sensitive to capturing time series similarity. Single-date spectral indices, temporal trajectories, and temporal derivatives associated with succession are used as input variables to non-parametric decision trees for modelling, estimation, and mapping of AGB and carbon sinks over the entire study area. Results indicate that patterns of change found in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values are associated and relate well to classes of forest AGB. The Tasseled Cap Angle (TCA) index was found to be strongly related with forest density, although the related patterns of change had little relation with variability in historic AGB. By scaling biomass models through small (∼2.5 ha) spatial objects defined by spectral homogeneity, the AGB dynamics in the period 1990–2000 are mapped (70% accuracy when validated with plot values of change), revealing an increase of 18% in AGB irregularly distributed over 814 km² of pines. The accumulation of C calculated in AGB was on average 0.65 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, equivalent to a fixation of 2.38 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of carbon dioxide.     

Controlling CO2 emissions for each area in a region: the case of Japan

Background

Unlike in the developed countries, Ethiopia does not have carbon inventories and databank to monitor and enhance carbon sequestration potential of different forests. Only small efforts have been made so far to assess the biomass and soil carbon sequestration at micro-level. This study was carried out to obtain sufficient information about the carbon stock potential of Gerba-Dima forest in south-western Ethiopia. A total of 90 sample plots were laid by employing stratified random sampling. Nested plots were used to collect data of the four carbon pools. For trees with a diameter range of 5 cm < diameter < 20 cm, the carbon stock was assessed from a plot size of 49 m² (7 m * 7 m). For trees with a diameter range of 20 cm < diameter < 50 cm, the carbon stock was assessed from a plot size of 625 m² (25 m * 25 m). For trees > 50 cm diameter, an additional larger sample of 35 * 35 m² was used. Litter, herb and soil data were collected from 1 m² subplot established at the center of each nested plot. To compute the above ground biomass carbon stock of trees and shrubs with DBH > 5 cm, their DBH and height were measured. The biomass carbon assessment of woody species having DBH < 5 cm, litter and herb were conducted by measuring their fresh weight in the field and dry weight in the laboratory.

Results

The mean total carbon stock density of Gerba-Dima forest was found to be 508.9 tons carbon ha⁻¹, out of which 243.8, 45.97, 0.03 and 219.1 tons carbon ha⁻¹ were stored in the above ground biomass, below ground biomass, litter biomass and soil organic carbon, respectively.

Conclusions

The existence of high carbon stock in the study forest shows the potential of the area for climate change mitigation. Thus, all stakeholders at the local and national level should work together to implement effective conservation measures and get benefit from the biocarbon fund.

     

Performance of GNSS-R GLORI data for biomass estimation over the Landes forest

The Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) is a key parameter used for the modeling of the carbon cycle. The aim of this study is to make an experimental assessment of the sensitivity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflected signals to forest AGB. This is based on the analysis of the data recorded during several GLORI airborne campaigns in June and July 2015, over the Landes Forest (France). Ground truth measurements of tree height, density and diameter at breast height (DBH), as well as AGB, were carried out for 100 maritime pine forest plots of various ages. The GNSS-R data were used to obtain the right-left (Γ_RL) and right-right (Γ_RR) reflectivity observables, which are geo-referenced in accordance with the known positions of relevant GPS satellites and the airborne receiver. The correlations between forest AGB and the GNSS-R observables yield the highest sensitivity at high elevation angles (70°-90°). In this case, for (Γ_RL) and the reflectivity polarization ratio (PR = Γ_RL/Γ_RR) estimated with a coherent integration time Tc = 20 ms, the coefficients of determination R² are equal to 0.67 and 0.51, with a sensitivity of −0.051 dB/[10⁶g (Mg) ha⁻¹], and −0.053 dB/[Mg ha⁻¹], respectively. The relationships between AGB and the observables are confirmed through the use of a 5-fold cross validation approach, with several different coherent integration times.     

Application of topo-edaphic factors and remotely sensed vegetation indices to enhance biomass estimation in a heterogeneous landscape in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania

Estimating tropical biomass is critical for establishment of conservation inventories and landscape monitoring. However, monitoring biomass in a complex and dynamic environment using traditional methods is challenging. Recently, biomass estimates based on remotely sensed data and ecological variables have shown great potential. The present study explored the utility of remotely sensed data and topo-edaphic factors to improve biomass estimation in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Twenty-nine vegetation indices were calculated from RapidEye data, while topo-edaphic factors were taken from field measurements. Results showed that using topo-edaphic variables or vegetation indices, biomass could be predicted with an R² of 0.4. A combination of topo-edaphic variables and vegetation indices improved the prediction accuracy to an R² of 0.6. Results further showed a decrease in biomass estimates from 1162 ton ha^?1 in 1980 to 285.38 ton ha^?1 in 2012. This study demonstrates the value of combining remotely sensed data with topo-edaphic variables in biomass estimation.     

Remotely sensed biomass over steep slopes: An evaluation among successional stands of the Atlantic Forest,Brazil

Remotely sensed images have been widely used to model biomass and carbon content on large spatial scales. Nevertheless, modeling biomass using remotely sensed data from steep slopes is still poorly understood. We investigated how topographical features affect biomass estimation using remotely sensed data and how such estimates can be used in the characterization of successional stands in the Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil. We estimated forest biomass using a modeling approach that included the use of both satellite data (LANDSAT) and topographic features derived from a digital elevation model (TOPODATA). Biomass estimations exhibited low error predictions (Adj. R² = 0.67 and RMSE = 35 Mg/ha) when combining satellite data with a secondary geomorphometric variable, the illumination factor, which is based on hill shading patterns. This improved biomass prediction helped us to determine carbon stock in different forest successional stands. Our results provide an important source of modeling information about large-scale biomass in remaining forests over steep slopes.     

Biomass allometric equation and expansion factor for a mountain moist evergreen forest in Mozambique

Background

Worldwide, forests are an important carbon sink and thus are key to mitigate the effects of climate change. Mountain moist evergreen forests in Mozambique are threatened by agricultural expansion, uncontrolled logging, and firewood collection, thus compromising their role in carbon sequestration. There is lack of local tools for above-ground biomass (AGB) estimation of mountain moist evergreen forest, hence carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation are not adequately known. This study aimed to develop biomass allometric equations (BAE) and biomass expansion factor (BEF) for the estimation of total above-ground carbon stock in mountain moist evergreen forest.

Methods

The destructive method was used, whereby 39 trees were felled and measured for diameter at breast height (DBH), total height and the commercial height. We determined the wood basic density, the total dry weight and merchantable timber volume by Smalian’s formula. Six biomass allometric models were fitted using non-linear least square regression. The BEF was determined based on the relationship between bole stem dry weight and total dry weight of the tree. To estimate the mean AGB of the forest, a forest inventory was conducted using 27 temporary square plots. The applicability of Marzoli’s volume equation was compared with Smalian’s volume equation in order to check whether Marzoli’s volume from national forest inventory can be used to predict AGB using BEF.

Results

The best model was the power model with only DBH as predictor variable, which provided an estimated mean AGB of 291?±?141 Mg ha^?1 (mean?±?95% confidence level). The mean wood basic density of sampled trees was 0.715?±?0.182 g cm^?3. The average BEF was of 2.05?±?0.15 and the estimated mean AGB of 387?±?126 Mg ha^?1. The BAE from miombo woodland within the vicinity of the study area underestimates the AGB for all sampled trees. Chave et al.’s pantropical equation of moist forest did not fit to the Moribane Forest Reserve, while Brown’s equation of moist forest had a good fit to the Moribane Forest Reserve, having generated 1.2% of bias, very close to that generated by the selected model of this study. BEF showed to be reliable when combined with stand mean volume from Marzoli’s National Forestry Inventory equation.

Conclusion

The BAE and the BEF function developed in this study can be used to estimate the AGB of the mountain moist evergreen forests at Moribane Forest Reserve in Mozambique. However, the use of the biomass allometric model should be preferable when DBH information is available.

     

Estimating aboveground biomass of the mangrove forests on northeast Hainan Island in China using an upscaling method from field plots,UAV-LiDAR data and Sentinel-2 imagery

The mangrove forests of northeast Hainan Island are the most species diverse forests in China and consist of the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve and the Qinglan Provincial Nature Reserve. The former reserve is the first Chinese national nature reserve for mangroves and the latter has the most abundant mangrove species in China. However, to date the aboveground ground biomass (AGB) of this mangrove region has not been quantified due to the high species diversity and the difficulty of extensive field sampling in mangrove habitat. Although three-dimensional point clouds can capture the forest vertical structure, their application to large areas is hindered by the logistics, costs and data volumes involved. To fill the gap and address this issue, this study proposed a novel upscaling method for mangrove AGB estimation using field plots, UAV-LiDAR strip data and Sentinel-2 imagery (named G∼LiDAR∼S2 model) based on a point-line-polygon framework. In this model, the partial-coverage UAV-LiDAR data were used as a linear bridge to link ground measurements to the wall-to-wall coverage Sentinel-2 data. The results showed that northeast Hainan Island has a total mangrove AGB of 312,806.29 Mg with a mean AGB of 119.26 Mg ha⁻¹. The results also indicated that at the regional scale, the proposed UAV-LiDAR linear bridge method (i.e., G∼LiDAR∼S2 model) performed better than the traditional approach, which directly relates field plots to Sentinel-2 data (named the G∼S2 model) (R² = 0.62 > 0.52, RMSE = 50.36 Mg ha⁻¹<56.63 Mg ha⁻¹). Through a trend extrapolation method, this study inferred that the G∼LiDAR∼S2 model could decrease the number of field samples required by approximately 37% in comparison with those required by the G∼S2 model in the study area. Regarding the UAV-LiDAR sampling intensity, compared with the original number of LiDAR plots, 20% of original linear bridges could produce an acceptable accuracy (R² = 0.62, RMSE = 51.03 Mg ha⁻¹). Consequently, this study presents the first investigation of AGB for the mangrove forests on northeast Hainan Island in China and verifies the feasibility of using this mangrove AGB upscaling method for diverse mangrove forests.     

Biomass estimation of Sonneratia caseolaris (l.) Engler at a coastal area of Hai Phong city (Vietnam) using ALOS-2 PALSAR imagery and GIS-based multi-layer perceptron neural networks

This study tested the use of machine learning techniques for the estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) of Sonneratia caseolaris in a coastal area of Hai Phong city, Vietnam. We employed a GIS database and multi-layer perceptron neural networks (MLPNN) to build and verify an AGB model, drawing upon data from a survey of 1508 mangrove trees in 18 sampling plots and ALOS-2 PALSAR imagery. We assessed the model’s performance using root-mean-square error, mean absolute error, coefficient of determination (R²), and leave-one-out cross-validation. We also compared the model’s usability with four machine learning techniques: support vector regression, radial basis function neural networks, Gaussian process, and random forest. The MLPNN model performed well and outperformed the machine learning techniques. The MLPNN model-estimated AGB ranged between 2.78 and 298.95 Mg ha^?1 (average = 55.8 Mg ha^?1); below-ground biomass ranged between 4.06 and 436.47 Mg ha^?1 (average = 81.47 Mg ha^?1), and total carbon stock ranged between 3.22 and 345.65 Mg C ha^?1 (average = 64.52 Mg C ha^?1). We conclude that ALOS-2 PALSAR data can be accurately used with MLPNN models for estimating mangrove forest biomass in tropical areas.     

森林地上生物量遥感反演方法综述

森林地上生物量反演对理解和监测生态系统及评估人类生产生活的影响有着重要作用,日益发展的遥感技术使全球及大区域的生物量估算成为可能。近年来,不同的遥感技术和反演方法被广泛用于估算森林生物量。本文首先总结了现有的全球及区域生物量产品及其不确定性,然后综述了3类方法在森林地上生物量遥感反演中的应用,即基于单源数据的参数化方法、基于多源数据的非参数化方法和基于机理模型的反演方法,阐述了各类反演方法的特点、优势及局限性。最后从机理模型研究、多源遥感数据协同、生物量季节变化研究和遥感数据源不断丰富4个方面对今后的生物量遥感反演研究进行了展望。     

Evaluation of SPOT imagery for the estimation of grassland biomass

In many regions, a decrease in grasslands and change in their management, which are associated with agricultural intensification, have been observed in the last half-century. Such changes in agricultural practices have caused negative environmental effects that include water pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. Moreover, climate-driven changes in grassland productivity could have serious consequences for the profitability of agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of remotely sensed data with high spatial resolution to estimate grassland biomass in agricultural areas. A vegetation index, namely the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and two biophysical variables, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the fraction of Vegetation Cover (fCOVER) were computed using five SPOT images acquired during the growing season. In parallel, ground-based information on grassland growth was collected to calculate biomass values. The analysis of the relationship between the variables derived from the remotely sensed data and the biomass observed in the field shows that LAI outperforms NDVI and fCOVER to estimate biomass (R² values of 0.68 against 0.30 and 0.50, respectively). The squared Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and estimated biomass using LAI derived from SPOT images reached 0.73. Biomass maps generated from remotely sensed data were then used to estimate grass reserves at the farm scale in the perspective of operational monitoring and forecasting.     

基于ICESatGLAS的云南省森林地上生物量反演

结合机载、星载激光雷达对GLAS(地球科学激光测高系统)光斑范围内的森林地上生物量进行估测,并利用MODIS植被产品以及MERIS土地覆盖产品进行了云南省森林地上生物量的连续制图。机载LiDAR扫描的260个训练样本用于构建星载GLAS的森林地上生物量估测模型,模型的决定系数(R2)为0.52,均方根误差(RMSE)为31Mg/ha。研究结果显示,云南省总森林地上生物量为12.72亿t,平均森林地上生物量为94Mg/ha。估测的森林地上生物量空间分布情况与实际情况相符,森林地上生物量总量与基于森林资源清查数据的估测结果相符,表明了利用机载LiDAR与星载ICESatGLAS结合进行大区域森林地上生物量估测的可靠性。     

森林地上生物量的极化相干层析估计方法

基于微波的后向散射系数估计森林地上生物量(AGB)易受后向散射系数饱和的影响,而利用森林高度,根据生长方程估计AGB,却没有考虑和AGB密切相关的林分密度、树种组成、林层垂直分布等空间结构特征的作用,针对这些问题,提出一种基于极化相干层析(Polarization Coherence Tomography,PCT)技术的AGB估计方法。基于德国宇航局(DLR)机载SAR系统(ESAR)获取的特劳斯坦(Traunstein)试验区L-波段极化干涉SAR(PolInSAR)数据,通过对具有不同AGB水平的典型林分的相对反射率函数曲线的分析,定义了9个与AGB具有相关性的特征参数。然后基于20个林分的实测AGB数据,以林分尺度上这9个特征参数的平均值为自变量,以实测林分平均AGB为因变量,采用逐步回归分析法构建了AGB估测模型,并对该模型进行评价,对影响模型估计精度的因素进行分析,结果表明,由PCT提取的相对反射率函数特征参数对AGB很敏感,充分利用相对反射率函数信息可提高AGB估计精度。