Soil moisture effect on microwave emission of forest canopies

Abstract

In this paper, experimental results obtained on two forest plots in Tuscany (Italy) by using the IROE/IFAC multi-frequency dual-polarized microwave radiometer are reported. The sensitivity of L-band microwave emission to both forest biomass and soil moisture content under canopies is investigated. A radiative transfer model, which considers vegetation as an ensemble of disks and cylinders over a soil surface, has been used to interpret the obtained results. A good agreement between experimental data and model simulations has been obtained. A further analysis has been carried out by applying the model for predicting the soil moisture under natural forests with moderate biomass.