The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
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Articles | Volume XLVIII-3-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-3-2024-287-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-3-2024-287-2024
07 Nov 2024
 | 07 Nov 2024

Tackling high biomass in tropical forests through the BIOMASS mission

Thuy Le Toan, Ludovic Villard, Dinh Ho Tong Minh, Juan Doblas, Stephane Mermoz, Laurent Ferro-Famil, Thierry Koleck, Alexandre Bouvet, Milena Planells, and Laurent Polidori

Keywords: BIOMASS mission, Carbon cycle, Tropical Forest Biomass, Deforestation, Forest degradation, P-band SAR, SAR Tomography, Digital Elevation Model

Abstract. To improve our understanding of the carbon cycle, precise estimates of forest biomass are needed. High values of dense tropical forest biomass are particularly important, as they determine uncertainties in carbon stock assessment and carbon loss due to deforestation and forest degradation. However, estimating Above Ground Biomass (AGB) of tropical forests based on remote sensing systems remains challenging, most existing satellite systems are not sensitive to AGB in the high range. In this paper, we assess the use of P-band SAR tomography technique to provide AGB with reduced uncertainties in the range of 200–400 Mg.ha−1. We present the expected contribution of the BIOMASS mission in estimating the carbon loss from deforestation and from forest degradation , and in providing the Digital Elevation Model under dense forests.