Monitoring South Florida Wetlands Using ERS-1 SAR Imagery

This study evaluates the utility of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery collected by the ERS-1 satellite for monitoring wetland vegetation communities in southwestern Florida. Two images were analyzed, one collected at the end of the dry season in April 1994 and one collected at the end of the wet season in October 1994. The range of image intensity values from the different test sites varied by a factor of 6.2 (7.9 dB) on the dry season ERS-I SAR image and by a factor of 2.6 (4.1 dB) for the wet season ERS-1 SAR image. The results from the radar observations were found to be consistent with theoretical micro wave scattering models that predict variations in backscatter as a function of vegetation structure, soil moisture, surface roughness, and the presence or absence of standing water. Both the radar data and models show that, in wetlands dominated by herbaceous vegetation, the presence of standing water results in a decrease in backscatter. Conversely, in wetlands with woody plants (trees and shrubs), the radar data and models show that the presence of water results in an increase in backscatter. The results of this study illustrate that radar imagery is uniquely suited to detect and monitor changes in soil moisture, flooding, and aboveground biomass in these wetland ecosystems.

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