Visible and near-visible sensors, which have been widely used in the beginning of the period of interest, have been later overshadowed by the availability of sensors using the microwave part of the spectrum. However, the latter years of this period have shown an obvious come-back with numerous experiments flown with new generation equipment. This paper describes briefly the first generation sensors and how they were used in airborne experiments, explains the developments being conducted from mechanical to push-broom scanners and to non-scanning sensors, shows how some sensors were being integrated in comprehensive systems and what is the trend found in the later years of the period of reference. This is illustrated by examples of existing equipment in France and in Europe, and two case studies: one on the Dutch CAESAR push-broom scanner, the other on the Oceanographic Lidar System developed by the University of Oldenburg in Germany.

Effective management of forest resources requires suitable, up-to-date information on the state, extent and distribution of forest. Remote Sensing data can provide this inforniation. To enable the use of remote sensing data for global forest monitoring, provisions are required to allow operational processing of the data to standardized products. A scenario for the development of a Forest Assessment and Monitoring Environment is presented. Firstly, a pilot RESPAS is developed, a suitable tool for forest iiianageinent, to compile information on global forests. Secondly, RFSPAS is upgraded to iinprcive its fiinctionality and to intrcduce FMS. Thirdly. RESPAS is extended by introducing reinote sensing data from newly launched sensors. By introducing this threestep approach, standardized remote sensing products will become available for use in sustainable forest management giving information on the state, extent and distribution of tropical forests.

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CAESAR, a multispectral pushbroom-scanner, was developed in The Netherlands within the framework of the National Remote Sensing Programme. In 1988 the scanner became available for specific remote sensing research. CAESAR is capable of obtaining information on the directional reflectance of objects on the ground by the acquisition of multispectral data in different look modes. This information is used to improve crop classifications and to model atmospheric correction of CAESAR data. SAILH canopy reflectance model simulations are compared with the radiance values measured by CAESAR. The data acquired in different look modes are used to obtain stereo information.

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