A Study and Modelling of the Propagation Effects of Vegetation on Radio Waves at Centimetre-Wavelength Frequencies
type: CreativeWork
description: With the increase in and more diverse applications of microwave radio communications, the probability of a signal propagating through a medium of vegetation is increased. As a direct result of this demand for microwave communication systems, knowledge is required of the effects of vegetation media on the propagating microwave signal. This enables radio system planners to predict the signal loss more accurately, necessitating a detailed study of the propagation effects of vegetation. A vegetation depth attenuation model has been developed based on the International Telecommunications Union-Radio Sector model and validated against measurements conducted at two microwave frequencies of 11.2 GHz and 20 GHz. The measurements were conducted on a number of sites of differing geometries at different times of the year to obtain the two extreme states of foliage, in- and out-of-leaf. The trees found at the sites were of a number of indigenous species. A variety of species and environments were employed for the outdoor measurements as it was felt that any variation in the signal, occurring as a direct result of the species, climate, environment etc., would be reduced. A further study has been conducted in an anechoic chamber, the purpose being to investigate the depolarising effect of vegetation, to characterise and to ascertain how and to what extent the polarisation of the incident signal is changed as it passes through the vegetation without the effects of climate, location and environment affecting the resultant signal. To enable larger quantities of data to be obtained, collated and subsequently analysed and also to remove any scope for error during the collection of results, two data acquisition programs were written for the two main environments in which the measurements were to be undertaken, that is to say, outdoor and indoor (anechoic chamber) environments. In seeking to provide a model for the prediction of attenuation a radio wave will suffer as it is propagated th…
abstract: With the increase in and more diverse applications of microwave radio communications, the probability of a signal propagating through a medium of vegetation is increased. As a direct result of this demand for microwave communication systems, knowledge is required of the effects of vegetation media on the propagating microwave signal. This enables radio system planners to predict the signal loss more accurately, necessitating a detailed study of the propagation effects of vegetation. A vegetation depth attenuation model has been developed based on the International Telecommunications Union-Radio Sector model and validated against measurements conducted at two microwave frequencies of 11.2 GHz and 20 GHz. The measurements were conducted on a number of sites of differing geometries at different times of the year to obtain the two extreme states of foliage, in- and out-of-leaf. The trees found at the sites were of a number of indigenous species. A variety of species and environments were employed for the outdoor measurements as it was felt that any variation in the signal, occurring as a direct result of the species, climate, environment etc., would be reduced. A further study has been conducted in an anechoic chamber, the purpose being to investigate the depolarising effect of vegetation, to characterise and to ascertain how and to what extent the polarisation of the incident signal is changed as it passes through the vegetation without the effects of climate, location and environment affecting the resultant signal. To enable larger quantities of data to be obtained, collated and subsequently analysed and also to remove any scope for error during the collection of results, two data acquisition programs were written for the two main environments in which the measurements were to be undertaken, that is to say, outdoor and indoor (anechoic chamber) environments. In seeking to provide a model for the prediction of attenuation a radio wave will suffer as it is propagated th…
author: Stephens, Richard
language: eng
keywords: Microwave radio communications, vegetation media, propagating microwave signal, signal loss, Trees, Foliage
date published: 1998
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:38:59Z
provider: University of South Wales
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of South Wales