An assessment of the use of satellite remote sensing for the quantitative mapping of the forest biomass. A case study: the project LEBEN-Abruzzo

International audienceThe goals of the project are primarily the determination of the methods allowing the mapping of the forestry biomass from satellite imagery and secondly the mapping of the areas of accumulation of energetic resources as a function of physical, eographic, social and economic factors. The area under study is the province of Abruzzo in Italy and this project is part of the greater project LEBEN-Abruzzo. The satellite data used are from the Thematic Mapper and the MultiSpectral Scanner both aboard Landsat-5. These data are compared to the maps of biomass and we are making use of the fine resolution at ground of these data to improve the existing maps. These improved maps entered a data base together with other maps (topography, roads, administration, etc.). Further these data are combined according to various criteria to give a synthetic map of the accumulation of the energetic resources or to simulate a net of forest roads or sites of localisation of a fire-prevention system