DEVELOPMENT OF "JAPAN VEGETATION DATA BASE" 
Atsushi TSUNEKAWA 
National Institute for Environmental Studies 
Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN 
Commission IV 
ABSTRACT 
Raster-type digital geographic data containing edaphic factors and climatic factors of 
national land is maintained in Japan. A large amount of data concerning plant distribution has 
already been accumulated as vegetation investigation sheets (relevé, Aufnahme). However, 
these sheets have not yet been digitized. Therefore, being attempted is the digitization of the 
vegetation investigation sheets and the linking of this data to other digital geographic data 
based on the information of "position." The "Japan Vegetation Data Base" consists of the 
following data files. 
1) Relevé Data File 
In this file, all description matters on the vegetation investigation sheets are included. 
2) Grid-Cell Code Data File 
This file contains names of topographical maps of 1/50,000, the position on each map 
(upper or lower, right or left), and the second grid-cell codes. 
3) Natural Environment Data File 
This file contains data on mean annual temperature, mean monthly temperature of the 
warmest month, mean monthly temperature of the coldest month, Kira's warmth index, Kira's 
coldness index, annual precipitation, summer precipitation, winter precipitation, altitude, 
relief, landform, surface geology, and soils. 
The following analyses are possible under this data base system. 
1) Gathering of relevés in which plant species of interest occur. 
2) Mapping of plant species distribution and vegetation distribution. 
3) Analysis of environmental factors which affect plant distribution. 
Key Words: 
Vegetation Distribution, Plant Species Distribution, Plant Sociology, Relevé (Aufnahme), 
Geographic Information System, Climatic Factor, Edaphic Factor, Japan 
  
1. INTRODUCTION snowfall depth, with every approximate 1- 
km x 1-km grid-cell. A large amount of data 
An original geographic data base is concerning plant distribution has already 
being developed to analyze the vegetation been accumulated as vegetation investigation 
distribution of Japan. This data base is sheets (relevé, Aufnahme), which have not 
called the "Japan Vegetation Data Base." yet been digitized. It is possible to analyze 
This Japan Vegetation Data Base and the the detailed distribution of "plant species 
hardware used to process data is a system levels by using the data sheets. The Japan 
which analyzes geographic information by Vegetation Data Base links these data files 
using a computer with position coordinates. mutually based on the information of 
Therefore, this system is a Geographic "position" and uses them as a relational data 
Information System (GIS). base. 
Until now, there had been "Country- 
Wide Vegetation Data" and "Specific Plant 2. FRAMEWORK OF THE DATA BASE 
Community Data," which the Environment ; : : 
Agency of the Japanese Government created, 2.1 Outline of the hardware (Figure 1) 
as digital geographic information related to : 
the vegetation of Japan. However, because , ,, Three computer systems are being used 
these two data files made "plant community" individually for the purpose of data entry, 
a unit, the files were insufficient in the image processing, and the data analyses. A 
analysis of the level of "plant species," such personal computer (NEC PC-9801 FA/CPU 
as the analysis of the northern limit of a Intel i486SX) is being used for data entry 
Japanese beech tree or the range of the with a general Japanese word processor, for 
tree's distribution by mean annual simple calculation of statistics, and for the 
temperature, etc. display of maps. "Terra-Mar" is being used 
In Japan, in accordance with the for image processing. This system is chiefly 
National Grid Code System (explained for the analysis of remote sensing data. 
below), the Digital National Land Image processing such as three-dimensional 
Information and the Grid Climatic Value are display, classification, zoom, etc., can be 
maintained. By using these data files, we efficiently achieved. Moreover, a mainframe 
can analyze edaphic conditions such as computer (HITAC M682) is being used for 
relief, landform, surface geology etc., and large-scale calculations and modeling. These 
climatic conditions such as monthly three systems are connected by a Local Area 
temperature, monthly precipitation and Network (LAN) in the Institute. 
50