View article

Live fuel moisture content (LFMC) is an important factor in fire risk management in the Mediterranean region. Drawing upon a large network of stations (the Réseau Hydrique) measuring LFMC for operational fire danger assessment in the south-eastern region of France, this study assesses the ability of several long-term passive microwave remote sensing indices to capture the LFMC temporal dynamic of various Mediterranean shrub species. Microwave remote sensing has a high potential for monitoring LFMC independently of several constraints (e.g., atmospheric and cloud contamination effects) associated with optical-infrared and thermal remote sensing observations. The following four microwave-derived indices are considered: (1) the Essential Climate Variable near-surface soil moisture (ECV_SM); (2) the root-zone soil moisture (ECV_RZSM) derived from ECV_SM; (3) the microwave polarization difference …