Estimating aboveground biomass using satellite images in pure calabrian pine stands (a case study in çetibeli forest management unit)

The aim of this study is to estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) of pure Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) stands located within the boundaries of the Çetibeli Forest Enterprise Chiefdom, Marmaris Forest Enterprise Directorate, Muğla Regional Forestry Directorate, using variables derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. A total of 156 sample plots were utilized, and the AGB for each plot was calculated. Band reflectance, vegetation indices, and texture values were extracted from Sentinel-2 imagery. Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, four different models were developed and evaluated based on adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R²), and standard error (Sy.x). For Model 1, which used only band reflectance data, the results were adjusted R²=0.218, and Sy.x=3.83; for Model 2, which used only vegetation indices, adjusted R²=0.328, and Sy.x=3.61; for Model 3, which used band only texture variables, adjusted R²=0.550, and Sy.x=2.91; and for Model 4, which incorporated band reflectance, vegetation indices, and texture variables, the highest performance was achieved with adjusted R²=0.605, and Sy.x=2.72. These results indicate that the inclusion of texture variables significantly improves estimation accuracy and demonstrate that remote sensing data can be effectively used in conjunction with field measurements for estimating aboveground biomass in forestry planning and monitoring.