Forest damage assessment using multitemporal integrated data SAR - TM

M. Barbieri - Geologist Eurimage, Frascati, Italy		via Galileo Galilei 5, 00044, Frascati, Italy e-mail mbarbier@esrin.esa.it http://www.eurimage.it/Earth_Watching/Earth_Watching.html
R. Biasutti - Earth Observation Engineer		via Galileo Galilei 5, 00044, Frascati, Italy e-mail biasutti@eurimage.it http://www.eurimage.it/Earth_Watching/Earth_Watching.html
M. Marchetti - Director of Application		via E. D'Onofrio 212, 00155, Rome, Italy e-mail marchetti @eurimage.it http://www.eurimage.it

Abstract

In connection with the Forest Research and Management Institute of Romania the Earth Watching Team has carried out a study for evaluating the damage caused by a wind fall occurred on 4th November 1995 over the Romanian forestry at Northeast of Brasov (Carpatii Mts).

This study has been performed using optical and SAR satellite data (Landsat 5TM, ERS-1 & ERS-2) acquired before and after the event.

The Landsat images were checked to detect changes of the spectral signature over the areas hit by the storm. For this purpose the NDVI and IR indices, calculated for the two acquisition dates, were compared.

The ERS images were superimposed for detecting backscatter variations due to a reduction of the ground forest after the wind fall.

The result of this study was a preliminary estimation of the damaged areas and then the evaluation of the timber volume destroyed by the storm.

Keywords: ESA European Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne, observation de la terre, earth observation, satellite remote sensing, teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar, chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar, atmospheric chemistry