Abstract
Biodiversity was mapped by citizens in Chigasaki City (36km^2), a suburb of Tokyo. The participants identified the traditional rural landscape (a mixture of forest, grassland, and wetland) and a coastal dune ecotone (a mixture of maritime forest and dunes) as important for regional biodiversity and for the identity of the city. In total, 163 species (plants and animals) were chosen as indicator species for forest, grassland, freshwater wetland, and coast habitats. The indicator species were mapped at a 25-m spatial resolution. The city was divided into 76 areas, and the number of indicator species in each environment was used as a measure of ecosystem integrity. The integrity of the traditional rural landscape was calculated as the sum of values of forest, grassland, and freshwater wetland. The results were used to determine core areas to protect. Further applications for city planning are under discussion.
