The GlobBiomass retrieval algorithm is used to derive estimates of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) from satellite data for the year 2017 as part of the Biomass CCI project.

First, per-pixel estimates of growing stock volume (GSV, unit: m3/ha) were obtained from spaceborne SAR images acquired in 2017 (ALOS-2 PALSAR-2, Sentinel-1) with the BIOMASAR algorithm, adapted specifically to ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 and Sentinel-1 data. Individual per-pixel GSV estimates were then combined with a set of merging rules to form the final per-pixel estimate of GSV. The retrieval was supported by LiDAR (ICESAT) data and auxiliary datasets . AGB was then obtained from GSV with a set of Biomass Expansion and Conversion Factors (BCEF) following approaches to extend on ground estimates of wood density and stem-to-total biomass expansion factors to obtain a global raster dataset.

See the Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for details on the EO datasets, the biomass retrieval algorithms and the estimation of the BCEF (see http://cci.esa.int/biomass)