Potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar Sentinel-1 time series for the monitoring of phenological cycles in a deciduous forest

Abstract

Annual time-series of the two satellites C-band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Sentinel-1 A and B data over five years were used to characterize the phenological cycle of a temperate deciduous forest. Six phenological markers of the start, middle and end of budburst and leaf expansion stage in spring and the leaf senescence in autumn were extracted from time-series of the ratio (VV/VH) of backscattering at co-polarization VV (vertical-vertical) and at cross polarization VH (vertical-horizontal). These markers were compared to field phenological observations, and to phenological dates derived from various proxies (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI time-series from Sentinel-2 A and B images, in situ NDVI measurements, Leaf Area Index LAI and litterfall temporal dynamics). We observe a decrease in the backscattering coefficient ({sigma}0) at VH cross polarization during the leaf development and expansion phase in spring and an increase during the senescence phase, contrary to what is usually observed on various types of crops. In vertical polarization, {sigma}0VV shows very little variation throughout the year. S-1 time series of VV/VH ratio provides a good description of the seasonal vegetation cycle allowing the estimation of spring and autumn phenological markers. Estimates provided by VV/VH of budburst dates differ by approximately 8 days on average from phenological observations. During senescence phase, estimates are positively shifted (later) and deviate by about 20 days from phenological observations of leaf senescence while the differences are of the order of 2 to 4 days between the phenological observations and estimates based on in situ NDVI and LAI time-series, respectively. A deviation of about 7 days, comparable to that observed during budburst, is obtained between the estimates of senescence from S-1 and those determined from the in situ monitoring of litterfall. While in spring, leaf emergence and expansion described by LAI or NDVI explains the increase of VV/VH (or the decrease of {sigma}0VH), during senescence, S-1 VV/VH is decorrelated from LAI or NDVI and is better explained by litterfall temporal dynamics. This behavior resulted in a hysteresis phenomenon observed on the relationships between VV/VH and NDVI or LAI. For the same LAI or NDVI, the response of VV/VH is different depending on the phenological phase considered. This study shows the high potential offered by Sentinel-1 SAR C-band time series for the detection of forest phenology for the first time, thus overcoming the limitations caused by cloud cover in optical remote sensing of vegetation phenology. HighlightsO_LIWe study S-1 C-band dual polarized data potential to predict forest phenology C_LIO_LISeasonal phenological transitions were accurately described by S-1 time-series C_LIO_LIBudburst and senescence dates from S-1 differ from direct observations by one week C_LIO_LITime-series of S-1 VV/VH, NDVI, LAI and litterfall were also compared C_LIO_LIRelationships VV/VH vs NDVI and LAI show a hysteresis according to the season C_LI