BOREAS RSS-15: Biomass and Landcover Maps from SAR and Landsat

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) project mapped forest biomass and land cover across its Northern Study Area (NSA) and Southern Study Area (SSA). The RSS-15 team used SIR-C, X-SAR, and Landsat Thematic Mapper data from 1994 and 1995 to estimate total above-ground dry biomass and component biomass for foliage, branches, and boles. These maps were created by developing relationships between radar backscatter and biomass and applying image classification techniques.

Use Cases

• Estimating total above-ground dry biomass across boreal landscapes based on SAR backscatter relationships.
• Mapping component biomass (foliage, branch, bole) for forest structure analysis.
• Conducting land cover classification using combined SAR and optical satellite imagery.
• Developing and testing simple biomass mapping techniques using multi-channel SAR data.

Strengths

• Data is part of the large, well-documented BOREAS project, a significant ecological study.
• Maps integrate multiple sensor types (SIR-C, X-SAR, Landsat TM) for a multi-source analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData suggests established scientific use.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are not specified in any source, hindering direct analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata: Data.gov lists 2026 (likely an error or placeholder), while NASA EarthData lists 1995.
• Specific file sizes and row/record counts are unknown, limiting assessment of dataset scale.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), RSS-15 team for BOREAS.

Collection Method

Remote sensing analysis using SIR-C, X-SAR, and Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite data.

Time Range

1994-04-13 to 1995-09-02

Freshness

1995-09-02

Geography

BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA) and Southern Study Area (SSA) in boreal regions.