Spaceborne imaging radar in support of forest resource management

Imaging radar systems have a unique potential for monitoring certain biophy sical characteristics of forest ecosystems, but the extent and limitations of this technology for forest management applications have not been assesse d. An ongoing series of studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Af filiated Research Center (ARC) is addressing these applications, using dual -wavelength, multipolarization Shuttle imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) imagery for a variety of sites in the western Great Lakes region. The initial research focused on the combination of optical and radar data for land-cover mapping ; this developed into an investigation of biometric applications of radar i magery, deriving various stand parameters of interest to forestland manager s. A third question is now being addressed - how the complex mosaic of fore st types in the region affects the accuracy of interferometric radar-based estimates of elevation. Further research is needed on practical application s of multiwavelength radar systems for monitoring changing conditions in na tural and managed forests.