Interferometric forest height for modeling spatial tree patterns in Amazonia

The spatial distribution of very large trees in primary Amazon forest is extracted from a digital model of interferometric forest height by an approach of local maximum filtering. The spatial point patterns of very large trees are modeled by a series of Markov point process models. Spatial distribution is regular, and interaction decreases with distance; very large trees are shown to exert repulsive interaction with their neighboring very large trees. Key-words: Amazon, ecological modeling, K-function, Local maximum filtering, Markov process, pair potential function, primary forest, radar, remote sensing, spatial point pattern, Strauss process.