Forest information from synthetic aperture radar

Radar is often depicted as a promising technology not quite ready for prime time. Data are now becoming available on a routine basis from several exis ting satellites, but the satellites were not designed for this purpose and- with some exceptions-do not meet the needs of forest inventory and manageme nt. The next generation of spaceborne earth-imaging radar promises to chang e the situation,with multipolarized and high-resolution modes that are much more appropriate for forestry. The principal uses of radar will be to map forest structure and moisture; this information is largely complementary to that obtained by optical techniques.