National-scale vegetation maps are essential geospatial datasets for biodiversity conservation, environmental assessment, and spatial planning. To enable effective reuse by developers and GIS practitioners, these datasets must be provided as open data using scalable and modern delivery methods.
This presentation introduces two recent initiatives in Japan to enhance open vegetation data infrastructure. The first is the public release of vector tile data for the Actual Vegetation Map 2024, which represents current national vegetation conditions at a detailed scale. The vector tile format enables efficient web visualization, improved performance, and smooth integration with open-source GIS tools.
The second initiative is the start of the Satellite-based Vegetation Map 2030, a new national effort that utilizes satellite remote sensing to improve update frequency and timeliness. This satellite-based map is designed to complement the existing vegetation map, together forming a multi-temporal vegetation mapping framework.
This presentation focuses on technical design, open data provision, and interoperability with open-source GIS to support biodiversity and environmental applications.