Synergetic use of TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2 time series data for identification and characterization of grassland types - a case study in Southern Bavaria, Germany

Abstract

In the context of global change, alteration of landscapes and loss of biodiversity, the monitoring of habitats, vegetation types and their changes have become extraordinary important. In this paper, first results from a study that analyses the differentiability of NATURA2000 habitats and HNV grassland with imaging radar data are presented. Therefore, Kennaugh elements derived from TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2 dual pol (VV/VH) time series data are used, both separately and in combination, to model the distribution of these classes with the Maximum-Entropy principle. The preliminary results show that the multi-frequency approach enables - compared to single frequency analyses - a finer differentiation between scatterers in the size of 3-6 cm (e.g. 7120, 7230 and HNV grassland).