Bioclimatic classification of Northeast Asia reflecting social factors: Development and characterization

Abstract

Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally and efforts are needed to mitigate this continuallyincreasing loss of species. Clustering of areas with similar habitats can be used to prioritize protectedareas and distribute resources for the conservation of species, selection of representative sample areasfor research, and evaluation of impacts due to environmental changes. In this study, Northeast Asia(NEA) was classified into 27 bioclimatic zones using statistical techniques, and it was re-clusteredinto 14 groups to identify the environmental characteristics of these zones. In particular, we addedland cover variables into the clustering to reflect not only simple climate but also social factorsinfluencing biological habitats. In total, 53 bioclimatic variables were constructed, and principalcomponents were generated using correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA).The iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm (ISODATA) was used to cluster theprincipal components and land cover variable. The constructed bioclimatic zones were assignedcodes and descriptive names based on aridity, seasonality, and naturality, and their environmentalcharacteristics were identified. This study is significant in that it improved the understanding ofbiological habitats of NEA and established a basis for monitoring the distribution of species and forefficient and systematic management of biodiversity.