Abstract
Changes in land use and land cover are among the most important effects on biodiversity. Therefore, accurate classification of land cover and land use, with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution, is essential for assessing the state of biodiversity over large spatial scales and changes over time. However, no comprehensive national land-use map for biodiversity assessment currently exists for Japan. Existing land-use maps are maintained for different purposes, and often do not include essential variables for biodiversity assessment and projection, due, in particular, to the lack of land-use classification based on ecosystem type. Here we present a standardized land-use classification map for the entire nation of Japan based on a national vegetation map archived by Ministry of the Environment. The newly constructed land-use map includes classifications for semi-natural habitats, such as secondary forest and secondary grassland, which are traditionally maintained by human activities. Aggregated national variables, such as total forested and cultivated areas, calculated from this new map, corresponded reasonably well with official reports of these classifications, suggesting the new land-use map is consistent with existing maps.
