Analysis of ALOS/PALSAR polarimetric signatures and scattering mechanisms of forest types in tapajós region, Brazil

Abstract

In this paper we analyzes the PALSAR polarimetric signatures and scattering mechanisms of tropical forest typologies based on target decomposition. At the representation of polarimetric signatures, the crosssection of the forest target (σ) was plotted on a threedimensional graphic as a function of the orientation angle, ellipticity angle and the intensity of co-polar components of the radar signal. The analysis of scattering mechanisms was done by the association of entropy and mean alpha angle values for each sample, introduced to the bi-dimensional classification space. Some results can be mentioned: (a) from the analysis of signatures one can verify that the secondary succession stages present a relatively high pedestal when compared to the forested sections; (b) the pixel distribution in the (H) bi-dimensional space was more frequent at zones 4, 5 and 9 for forest with or without timber exploitation and for the advanced secondary succession. This study improves the understanding of the interaction mechanisms between L-band PALSAR signals and structural parameters, subsidizing the forest inventory in the Brazilian Amazon region.