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Biodiversity feature information for use in the C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Plans. These plans are to serve as the primary spatial biodiversity informant guiding proactive conservation action and directing land-use planning and reactive decision-making in local, provincial and national spheres of government.

This is one of a core set of FSP biodiversity informants (GIS files) for this region (West Coast:

Saldanha Peninsula and Northwest Sandveld):

• cba_terrestrial_ht_geo

• cba_aquatic_ ht_geo

• cesa_aquatic_ ht_geo

• cesa_aquatic_polyline_ ht_geo

• oesa_aquatic_ ht_geo

• oesa_aquatic_polyline_ ht_geo

These should be used in conjunction with Protected Area information (note that CBAs fall exclusively outside of protected areas) and FSP “Other Natural Areas” and “No Natural Remaining”.

Copyright holder: Yes copyright exists with the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (WCNCB). Where the data is used as basis for or as an insertion in a project, acknowledgement must be made of the source of the (CapeNature, C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning Project) as well as the copyright of CapeNature

Methodology:

This layer is a combination of the following GIS datasets (from which Critical Biodiversity Areas, Critical Ecological Support Areas, and Other Ecological Support Areas were extracted and merged into separate layers):

1. all_wetlands_final.shp (C.A.P.E. FSP* manually digitised off imagery and partially groundtruthed),

2. estuaries.shp (C.A.P.E. FSP* manually digitised off imagery and partially ground-truthed), and

3. rivsq4_ss_final.shp (C.A.P.E. FSP* attributed selection from 1:500K river line data).

*FSP contracted the Freshwater Consulting Group and CSIR to deliver these input products. Further documentation for the original datasets is available.

The following sets of Chief Directorate Surveys and Mapping (CDSM) 2006 1:50,000 topographic vector data were used to refine the scale of the attributed river network from 1:500,000 to 1:50,000 and to define the extent of open water within wetland and estuarine areas.

1. inland_water.shp (excluding man-made features),

2. river_area.shp (to define river bed, not banks), and

3. river_line.shp (buffered to define river bed).

The CATEGORY distinction was made in the rivsq4_ss_final.shp dataset between CBAs/CESAs/OESAs (Critical Biodiversity Areas / Critical Ecological Support Areas / Other Ecological Support Areas) and transferred/attributed to the appropriate segment in the

inland_water.shp, river_area.shp, and river_line.shp. The relevant buffer distance used to create polygons from polygons and polylines (GEOCLASS column) was also established in rivsq4_ss.shp layer. Buffer layers (separate) do not overlap their

parent polygons/polylines. The method for selecting Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs), Critical Ecological Support Areas (CESAs), and Other Ecological Support Areas (OESAs) from the full set of wetland, river, and estuarine features was based on a systematic conservation planning approach whereby targets (quantitative objectives) were established for a representative suite of biodiversity features, and the decision-support software Marxan was used (via CLUZ interface software) to generate the best spatial solutions (i.e., most efficient selection of planning units required) for meeting conservation targets. For further detailed information about the methodology see the FSP Technical Reports.

Available documentation:

Pence, Genevieve Q.K. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Systematic Conservation Planning Assessment: Technical Report. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa.

Job, N., Snaddon, K., Day, L., Nel, J. and Smith-Adoa, L. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-scale Biodiversity Planning Project: Freshwater Ecosystems of the North-west Sandveld and Saldanha Peninsula planning domain. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa.

Project Name:

Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning project, as part of Component 5.1 of Cape Action Plan for People and the Environment (C.A.P.E.)

Creator Organisation:

Genevieve Q.K. Pence, Conservation Planner

Consultant

SANS 1878

FGDC-STD-001-1998