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SLAR FOR FOREST TYPING IN. A 
sTMI-DECIDUOUS TROPICAL REGION 
by 
G. Sicco Smit* 
A case study of the Mahogany Forest 
region state of Goiás, Brasil 
INTRODUCTION 
SLAR (Side Looking Airborne Radar) is a proven additional tool for forest 
type mapping of large areas of the humid tropical rainforest region. The 
pragmatic interpretation system for small scale SLAR images is mainly 
based on the differentiation into dry- and wetland with delineation in 
tie dryland according to physiographic features such as drainage and topography. 
In addition, typical low vegetation types like swamps, savannas and shifting 
cultivation can be interpreted; mangrove forests and brackish water swamps 
can be delineated by special features of the tidal influences. 
On SLAR it is difficult to delineate the low forest types, like savanna 
forest, low swamp forest, creeper forest and secondary forest, these 
being transition types between the high forest and the corresponding low 
vegetation types. 
The question arises whether SLAR interpretation will still be accurate for 
forest type mapping when these low forest types are the dominant vegetation 
coverage as is the case of the tropical semi-decideous forest region. 
  
ES ; : : 
Ir. G. Sicco Smit, Senior Lecturer, Department of Forestry, International 
Institute for Aerial Survey and Earth Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands.