Discrete scattering approach to vegetation modeling

This report studies microwave backscattering from a forest canopy which is modeled by a collection of dielectric discs with random orientation and position. The report begins by analyzing the mean field in a tenuous distribution of discrete scatterers. The correlation of the field is found by employing the distorted Born approximation. The above is then specialized to a half space of discrete scatterers with azimuthal symmetry. Horizontal, vertical and cross polarized backscattering coefficients for the half space are found. A comparison with experiment is made for the special case of lossy dielectric discs.