Spaceborne Data Fusion for Large-Scale Forest Parameter Estimation: GEDI Lidar & Tandem-X INSAR Missions

Abstract

The forest structure parameters are important parameters for understanding of the global forest carbon storage and cycle, forest richness/biodiversity, as well as climate changes. Lidar waveform and (polarimetric) SAR interferometry have been widely and successfully used for extracting 3D forest structure profiles by means of both SAR and lidar airborne systems, but individually and on a local scale. To generate global-scale 3D forest structure information and to understand terrestrial carbon dynamics, fusing both spaceborne SAR and lidar data sets and developing new merging algorithms become critical. We have used (simulated) GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigator) data and interferometric SAR (InSAR) satellite data from DLR’s TanDEM-X at HH polarization over NASA AfriSAR campaign test sites, Gabon.