Monitoring Seasonal Variations in Boreal Ecosystems Using
Multi-temporal Spaceborne SAR Data

E. S. Kasischke, L. A. Morrissey, J. Way, N. H. French, L. L. Bourgeau-Chavez, E. Rignot, J. A. Stearn, and G. P. Livingston


Abstract

    Using spaceborne radar imagery collected through the ERS-1 SAR, three examples are presented illustrating the unique information content of multi-temporal data sets collected over land surfaces in high northern latitudes.   Specifically, it was demonstrated that ERS-1 C-band SAR imagery could be used to: discriminate between wetland and non-wetlands in tundra biomes, monitor seasonal variations related to vegetation and water level differences in tundra, monitor the general pattern of fall freeze-up in different regions throughout the state of Alaska, monitor inter- and intra-seasonal variations in soil moisture in fire-disturbed forests, and potentially estimate the levels of ground-layer biomass consumption during fire in black spruce forests.  These results have important implications for the RADARSAT SAR, which will be able to cover large areas in northern latitudes on a very high sampling frequency.  This capability can be important to the monitoring of several processes central to carbon cycling in tundra and taiga biomes, including the monitoring of the effects of forest fires, length of growing season, and water levels in tundra.