MONITORING OIL-PALM AND OTHER THREATS TO TANJUNG PUTING NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA, WITH SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR

摘要

In this study the performance of various microwave-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors were evaluated to understand which sensor modes and analysis methods are best suited for monitoring deforestation caused by oil-palm threats to Tanjung Puting National Park. JERS-1, ERS-1 and 2, and ASAR sensor data were evaluated. SAR sensors proved useful for observing and measuring oil-palm change in and around the park area over several decades. The performance of polarmetric sensors such as ASAR proved the most useful, while the other single polarmetric sensors (JERS, ERS-1 and 2) provided some insight, occasionally large oil-palm features went unnoticed. JERS and ERS-1 and 2 would be useful augmentations for optical imagery. This study measured significant changes within 10-km of the park border over the last twenty-five years. Recent data indicates that the northeastern border has been breached by the spread of the oil-palm plantations: as of January 2008, there are approximately 366-km~2 of oil-palm fields within the 10-km park buffer zone designated for managed forest use and 26-km~2 of new oil-palm within the park border. These incursions into the park forced a redrawing of the park boundaries in 2008.