Assessment of Sentinel-2 Spectral Features to Estimate Forest Height with the New GEDI Data

The unprecedent availability of vertical structure forest data provided by NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), allows the validation of new methodologies based on other Remote Sensing (RS) sensors for monitoring forest parameters, such as Forest Height (FH). Previously, studies on FH estimation implied in-situ measurements or acquiring LiDAR data, which was limited and expensive. Opposing to the sampling nature of GEDI mission, Sentinel-2 optical products has a high revisiting frequency and a high spatial resolution favoring the implementation of forest monitoring methodologies. This work presents a study on the correlation and usability of linear and exponential regressions for estimating FH through Sentinel-2 imagery. It was also exploited the advantages of making estimations by study area, or by specific land cover types. Overall, a R2 of 0.66 and a RMSE of 2.91 m were achieved, and in case of specifying the vegetation type were 0.83 and 2.40 m, respectively.