SAR Handbook

The SAR Handbook: Comprehensive Methodologies for Forest Monitoring and Biomass Estimation is the culmination of a two-year collaboration between NASA SERVIR and SilvaCarbon. Five trainings, led by six SAR subject matter experts, were held at hubs throughout the SERVIR network. The topics of these trainings included SAR basics, SAR for forest change detection, forest height estimation, biomass estimation, mangrove monitoring, and sampling design. Each of these training topics are covered in a SAR Handbook chapter, which includes the theoretical basics and applied exercises. You can download the entire SAR Handbook (PDF), or explore individual chapters, trainings and one-pagers below.

Each chapter of the SAR Handbook is divided into a theory section, which discusses the scientific background of the chapter topic; a tutorial section, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to put the theory into practice; and additional tutorial materials, which include data, scripts and slideshows necessary to complete the tutorial.

Front Matter: Title Page, Table of Contents, Acknowledgements, Preface, Forward, and About the Editors 

Chapter 1: Introduction and Rationale

Chapter 2: Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar: Principles, Data Access, and Basic Processing Techniques

• Chapter 2 Tutorial (PDF) 
• Read Me (PDF)
• Ch. 2 Data (Data_ch2_E2, ZIP)
• Ch. 2 Data (Data_ch2_S1_1, ZIP)
• Ch. 2 Data (Data_ch2_S1_2, ZIP)
• Ch. 2 Data (Data_ch2_S1_3, ZIP)
• Ch. 2 Data (Data_ch2_S1_change)
• Ch. 2 Supplemental Materials (ZIP)

Chapter 3: Using SAR Data for Mapping Deforestation and Forest Degradation

• Chapter 3 Tutorial (PDF)  
• Read Me (PDF)
• Chapter 3 Data – West Africa (ZIP)
• Chapter 3 Data – HKH (ZIP)
• Chapter 3 Scripts (ZIP)
• Ch. 3 Supplemental Materials (ZIP)

Chapter 4: Forest Stand Height Estimation

• Chapter 4 Tutorial (PDF)
• ISCE Example Data
• ROI_PAC Example Data
• GitHub Scripts

Chapter 5: SAR Methods for Mapping and Monitoring Forest Biomass

• Chapter 5 Tutorial (PDF)
• Read Me (PDF)
•  Chapter 5 Data (ZIP)
•  Ch. 5 Supplemental Materials (ZIP)

Chapter 6: Radar Remote Sensing of Mangrove Forests

• Chapter 6 Tutorial (PDF) 
• Read Me (PDF)
• Chapter 6 Data (ZIP)
• Ch. 6 Supplemental Materials (ZIP)

Chapter 7: Sampling Designs for SAR-Assisted Forest Biomass Surveys

• Chapter 7 Tutorial (PDF)
• Read Me (PDF)
• Chapter 7 Data (ZIP)
• Chapter 7 Scripts (ZIP)
• Ch. 7 Supplemental Materials (ZIP)

Chapter 8: Perspectives on the Future Application of SAR in Forest and Environmental Monitoring

One-Pagers:

Download one-page quick reference guides that highlight key concepts derived from the SAR Handbook: