Monitoring Tree Loss In Urban Areas With Synthetic Aperture Radar Data

Abstract

With the increasing need for areas for expanding agriculture, road networks, industries, etc., trees are being cut down ruthlessly in urban areas. Since these trees are not very dense in terms of spatial extent or canopy cover, their loss often goes unheeded. Thus it is very important to efficiently detect and map the areas experiencing urban tree logging so that appropriate measures can be taken to compensate for the loss. For this, satellite data can prove beneficial as it can reach greater extents and monitor large areas at the same time. With the help of satellite data acquired in multiple wavelengths, a large area can be monitored at once and checked for the changes happening within. A time-series dataset will give a temporal signature of a patch on the ground and by statistical analysis of this signature, any abrupt changes on account of partial or complete logging can be deduced. The use of temporal SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data can help in monitoring large areas throughout the year and generate alarms based on tree loss. © 2023 IEEE.