Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images
Unaffected by cloud cover and solar illumination, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images coupled with quad-polarimetric techniques have significant potential for mapping forest aboveground biomass (AGB) in the mountains of southern China. To improve the accuracy of mapping forest AGB, it is necessary...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/6/1519 |
| _version_ | 1797609203560349696 |
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| author | Tingchen Zhang Hui Lin Jiangping Long Huanna Zheng Zilin Ye Zhaohua Liu |
| author_facet | Tingchen Zhang Hui Lin Jiangping Long Huanna Zheng Zilin Ye Zhaohua Liu |
| author_sort | Tingchen Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Unaffected by cloud cover and solar illumination, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images coupled with quad-polarimetric techniques have significant potential for mapping forest aboveground biomass (AGB) in the mountains of southern China. To improve the accuracy of mapping forest AGB, it is necessary to accurately interpret and evaluate the sensitivity of polarimetric features related to polarimetric response in complex forests. In this study, several rotated polarimetric features were extracted from L-band quad-polarimetric ALOS PALSAR-2 images based on uniform polarimetric matrix rotation theory. In addition, the sensitivity of rotated polarimetric features with forest parameters was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient, sensitivity index (SI), and saturation levels. Ultimately, the forest AGB was mapped with various combinatorial feature sets by a proposed feature selection method based on the sensitivity index. The results illustrated that rotated polarimetric features extracted from the rotational domain have higher sensitivity with various forest parameters and higher saturation levels for mapping forests than other traditional features. After using the proposed feature selection method and combinatorial feature sets, the rRMSE of mapped forest AGB ranged from 22.5% to 33.9% for two acquired images, and the best result was obtained from the combination of three types of polarimetric features (BC + C4 + Ro). It is also confirmed that different types of features extracted from quad-polarimetric SAR images have better compensation effects and the accuracy of mapped forest AGB is significantly improved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:58:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-605700b2bd11415e9080ebb951ef7f73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:58:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-605700b2bd11415e9080ebb951ef7f732023-11-17T13:38:13ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922023-03-01156151910.3390/rs15061519Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR ImagesTingchen Zhang0Hui Lin1Jiangping Long2Huanna Zheng3Zilin Ye4Zhaohua Liu5Research Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaResearch Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaResearch Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaResearch Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaResearch Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaResearch Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaUnaffected by cloud cover and solar illumination, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images coupled with quad-polarimetric techniques have significant potential for mapping forest aboveground biomass (AGB) in the mountains of southern China. To improve the accuracy of mapping forest AGB, it is necessary to accurately interpret and evaluate the sensitivity of polarimetric features related to polarimetric response in complex forests. In this study, several rotated polarimetric features were extracted from L-band quad-polarimetric ALOS PALSAR-2 images based on uniform polarimetric matrix rotation theory. In addition, the sensitivity of rotated polarimetric features with forest parameters was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient, sensitivity index (SI), and saturation levels. Ultimately, the forest AGB was mapped with various combinatorial feature sets by a proposed feature selection method based on the sensitivity index. The results illustrated that rotated polarimetric features extracted from the rotational domain have higher sensitivity with various forest parameters and higher saturation levels for mapping forests than other traditional features. After using the proposed feature selection method and combinatorial feature sets, the rRMSE of mapped forest AGB ranged from 22.5% to 33.9% for two acquired images, and the best result was obtained from the combination of three types of polarimetric features (BC + C4 + Ro). It is also confirmed that different types of features extracted from quad-polarimetric SAR images have better compensation effects and the accuracy of mapped forest AGB is significantly improved.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/6/1519polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR)polarimetric featurerotation domainpolarization decompositionaboveground biomass (AGB) |
| spellingShingle | Tingchen Zhang Hui Lin Jiangping Long Huanna Zheng Zilin Ye Zhaohua Liu Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images Remote Sensing polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) polarimetric feature rotation domain polarization decomposition aboveground biomass (AGB) |
| title | Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images |
| title_full | Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images |
| title_short | Evaluating the Sensitivity of Polarimetric Features Related to Rotation Domain and Mapping Chinese Fir AGB Using Quad-Polarimetric SAR Images |
| title_sort | evaluating the sensitivity of polarimetric features related to rotation domain and mapping chinese fir agb using quad polarimetric sar images |
| topic | polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) polarimetric feature rotation domain polarization decomposition aboveground biomass (AGB) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/6/1519 |
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