Application of the Finite Difference Parabolic Equation Model in Forestry Remote Telemetry

Abstract

In this article, the finite difference parabolic equation (FDPE) method is presented to calculate the propagation loss (PL) for electromagnetic waves (EWs) in the forest environment. The FDPE method is more efficient and convenient than the empirical models and has more advantages on compatibility and accuracy for long-range EWs prediction. The Debye–Cole dual dispersion model is used to simulate the effective permittivity of vegetation. The results of the FDPE model are compared with those of the advanced refractive effects prediction system and measurement results, and a good agreement is observed. Research found that PL for EWs varies with the effective permittivity. Also, the effective permittivity is a function of radio frequency, weight moisture content, and volume content of vegetation. Thus, it is necessary to establish a statistical model to determine some relations between the PL and plant biophysical parameters. The polynomial fitting method is adopted to process a large amount of PL data for obtaining a linear function. Then, the volume content and moisture content of vegetation can be determined according to the polynomial fitting function. It provides a novel and efficient method for forestry remote telemetry, which is specifically suitable for large-scale inaccessible region with serious environment.