Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems
Páramos, neotropical high-mountain biomes of the northern Andes, are increasingly threatened by human land use and climate change. Accurate land use/land cover (LULC) mapping is critical for monitoring these pressures. However, persistent cloud cover poses substantial challenges for optical satellit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Geocarto International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10106049.2025.2451174 |
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| author | William Martínez Ivan Lizarazo André Große-Stoltenberg |
| author_facet | William Martínez Ivan Lizarazo André Große-Stoltenberg |
| author_sort | William Martínez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Páramos, neotropical high-mountain biomes of the northern Andes, are increasingly threatened by human land use and climate change. Accurate land use/land cover (LULC) mapping is critical for monitoring these pressures. However, persistent cloud cover poses substantial challenges for optical satellite imagery. This study leverages multitemporal Interferometry SAR (InSAR) coherence and dual polarimetric backscatter intensity to improve LULC mapping accuracy in páramos ecosystems. Using a 1-year Sentinel-1 time series from January to December 2019, 17 LULC classes were mapped across 17,000 hectares. Results demonstrate that integrating backscatter and coherence increased F1-Score and overall accuracy by 9% and 11%, respectively, compared to backscatter alone. This emphasizes the critical role of multitemporal SAR for LULC mapping in cloud-prone regions. Additionally, this study underscores the utility of cloud-based platforms for efficient SAR data processing, offering a scalable approach for mapping high-mountain ecosystems worldwide, especially in inaccessible and heavy precipitation regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5550bf4c47f4183a5aba3d5ffc519e7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1010-6049 1752-0762 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geocarto International |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5550bf4c47f4183a5aba3d5ffc519e72025-01-16T16:33:46ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGeocarto International1010-60491752-07622025-12-0140110.1080/10106049.2025.2451174Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystemsWilliam Martínez0Ivan Lizarazo1André Große-Stoltenberg2Departamento de Geografía, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, ColombiaFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, ColombiaInstitute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, IFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig Universität Giessen, Giessen, GermanyPáramos, neotropical high-mountain biomes of the northern Andes, are increasingly threatened by human land use and climate change. Accurate land use/land cover (LULC) mapping is critical for monitoring these pressures. However, persistent cloud cover poses substantial challenges for optical satellite imagery. This study leverages multitemporal Interferometry SAR (InSAR) coherence and dual polarimetric backscatter intensity to improve LULC mapping accuracy in páramos ecosystems. Using a 1-year Sentinel-1 time series from January to December 2019, 17 LULC classes were mapped across 17,000 hectares. Results demonstrate that integrating backscatter and coherence increased F1-Score and overall accuracy by 9% and 11%, respectively, compared to backscatter alone. This emphasizes the critical role of multitemporal SAR for LULC mapping in cloud-prone regions. Additionally, this study underscores the utility of cloud-based platforms for efficient SAR data processing, offering a scalable approach for mapping high-mountain ecosystems worldwide, especially in inaccessible and heavy precipitation regions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10106049.2025.2451174InSAR coherencepolarimetric SARhigh-mountain ecosystemsland use/land cover mappingmultitemporal SAR |
| spellingShingle | William Martínez Ivan Lizarazo André Große-Stoltenberg Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems Geocarto International InSAR coherence polarimetric SAR high-mountain ecosystems land use/land cover mapping multitemporal SAR |
| title | Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems |
| title_full | Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems |
| title_short | Integration of InSAR coherence and SAR backscatter increases accuracy of LULC mapping in tropical high-mountain ecosystems |
| title_sort | integration of insar coherence and sar backscatter increases accuracy of lulc mapping in tropical high mountain ecosystems |
| topic | InSAR coherence polarimetric SAR high-mountain ecosystems land use/land cover mapping multitemporal SAR |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10106049.2025.2451174 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT williammartinez integrationofinsarcoherenceandsarbackscatterincreasesaccuracyoflulcmappingintropicalhighmountainecosystems AT ivanlizarazo integrationofinsarcoherenceandsarbackscatterincreasesaccuracyoflulcmappingintropicalhighmountainecosystems AT andregroßestoltenberg integrationofinsarcoherenceandsarbackscatterincreasesaccuracyoflulcmappingintropicalhighmountainecosystems |