An empirical model for the vegetation screening effect in the remote sensing monitoring

Abstract

A layer of vegetation over the soil surface absorbs microwave radiation emitted from the soil and some objects located under the vegetation canopy. This paper investigates the microwave propagation process within the vegetation layer and evaluate the attenuation coefficients. For this purpose, laboratory experimental test bench is synthesized. It is based on the special rectangular camera-waveguide with transmission and receiving wide band horn antennas and allows the study of the attenuation coefficient dependence on the frequency of 0.8-10 GHz range and water content in the different vegetation elements. Evaluations of attenuation coefficients are implemented over a wide frequency range for deciduous and coniferous forests with separation consideration of the branches and trunks as the canopy fragments.