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Analysis of forest and forest clearings in Amazonia with Landsat and Shuttle Imaging Radar-A dataLandsat and Shuttle Imaging Radar-A L band (23.5 cm wavelength) data from 1981 were used to analyze areas of intact tropical forest and areas recently cleared from forest for agriculture and pasture in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Portions of SIR-A Data Takes #24C and #31 film were digitized using a microdensitometer. Landsat MSS data of July 1981 were also examined. The digital values from SIR-A DT 31 were compared with the normalized difference vegetation index values (NDVI) from the Landsat data for the same sites. Contrary to expectations some cleared areas had brighter radar responses than surrounding forest. The explanation seems to be that a recently cleared forest (cut and burned during the dry season) is texturally very rough as the exposed standing and fallen boles and woody litter may function as effective corner or dihedral reflectors. Combining radar data with NDVI data may help to assess the relative age of forest clearings and determine differences in both woody and green leaf biomass of primary and secondary tropical forests.
Document ID
19870065976
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Stone, Thomas A.
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. MA, United States)
Woodwell, George M.
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1987
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Accession Number
87A53250
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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