An Algorithm to Estimate Tree Height with Insar Technique and Dual-Pol ALOS/PALSAR Datasets

A technique able to acquire the height, especially for an area with a large spatial extent, is of great interest for forest biomass estimation. In this study, an inversion algorithm for tree height using the InSAR technique and dual-pol ALOS/PALSAR datasets was studied. The algorithm used the interferometric phase difference, coupled with two height compensation factors. When applied in the tree height estimate at Duke Forest, North Carolina, USA, it performed satisfactorily. As verified by in situ height measurement, the algorithm should have the potential to be one possible approach to estimate tree heights at regional and global scales.