STUDY OF THE GROUND VEGETATION SYSTEM IN THE GUIANA TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST WITH SCATTEROMETER IN A NADIR LOOKING

The French ERASME scatterometer has been used in a nadir looking, high resolution mode over the tropical rain forest in French Guiana. The purpose of that campaign was to test the ability of the radar to detect the vertical structure of the forest and the properties of the underlaying ground. In situ investigations were conducted simultaneously, sampling the soils properties and recording in eight plots the architectural profile of the forest along the radar track. The comparison of radar and ground data confirms the usefulness of ERASME. It is a pertinent tool for forest studies. Four principal groups of soils were distinguished. The backscattered signal provides a good description of the vertical structure of the biomass; basal area, tree density, and forest height were estimated. Possibilities for the development of such a radar are discussed; it is clearly powerful and well adapted for use in tropical forest where penetration is very difficult.