ABSTRACT

This chapter is devoted to the volume scattering and its power applications. Typical volume-scattering objects are vegetation including forests, trees, bushes, branches, leaves, crops, grass, etc. There are numerous scattering points inside vegetation, which cause “volume” scattering. The cross-polarized horizontal vertical, HV, component is the main source for the volume scattering in polarimetric SAR observations. We know that the HV component is created by vegetation, in addition to oriented surfaces and edges of man-made objects. The most important application of the HV component is forest/tree monitoring. Since forests absorb greenhouse gases and mitigates global warming, the preservation and monitoring of forests is very important and attracts attention.