Parabolic equation technique for vegetation

Vegetation can have a major influence on wave propagation and thus on received signal strength. This makes, of course, wave propagation models that consider vegetation effects very interesting. Vegetation models that compute field strength exist but all these models are, more or less, for radar applications, i.e. backscattering of a signal from a surface covered by forest, for instance. No good wave propagation model over terrain exists that considers the effect of the vegetation. In this report, a model is presented that to some extent is able to do that and which is based on parabolic equation technique. The developed model is new and has not been published anywhere else. It assumes, however, that a vegetation area, such as a forest, can be approximated by a homogenous dielectric slab. If such an approximation is possible, the model should give a good result. The performed and presented comparison between theory and experiments shows also a good result. However, the resolution in the experimental data is not sufficient to state that the model works for all types of terrain with vegetation.