Aboveground biomass estimation using Landsat TM data in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The complicated forest stand structure and associated abundant tree species in the Amazon often induce difficulty in estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) using remotely sensed data. This paper explores AGB estimation using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data in the eastern and western Brazilian Amazon, and discusses the impacts of forest stand structure on AGB estimation. Estimating AGB is still a challenging task, especially for the sites with complicated biophysical environments. The TM spectral responses are more suitable for AGB estimation in the sites with relatively simple forest stand structure than for the sites with complicated forest stand structure. Conversely, textures appear more important than spectral responses in AGB estimation in the sites with complicated forest stand structure. A combination of spectral responses and textures improves AGB estimation performance. Different study areas having various biophysical conditions affect AGB estimation performance.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank the National Science Foundation (grant #99‐06826), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (grant #NCC5‐695), and Embrapa Satellite Monitoring for their funding support. This project is part of the Large‐Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazônia (LBA) program, LC‐09, examining the human and physical dimensions of land use and land cover change. The author also thanks collaborators in Brazil, especially the LBA program, EMBRAPA, INPE, and the population of the study area, who made this work possible.

Notes

Note: * Four sites had coordinate errors. Only 16 sites were used in this research.

^§ Soil samples were collected at the centre of vegetation inventory sample site in the Altamira, Bragantina, and Ponta de Pedras. No soil samples were collected in Machadinho study area.

SF: successional forests, MF: mature forest.