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A complete revision of the first version of the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation Plan (ECBCP2007) was undertaken in this assessment. Some of the many good reasons for this include: an updated land cover map, changes to Provincial borders, a large body of environmental and biodiversity data that has been generated over the past 10 years; and the development of approximately 29 other environmental and biodiversity plans for parts of the Province that require integration. In addition, significant strides have been made with respect to defining and mapping biodiversity pattern and biodiversity processes, which have been standardised to ensure a level of consistency throughout the country (SANBI, 2017). The ECBCP2019 will replace the ECBCP2007 in its entirety.

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The Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation Plan (ECBCP2019) was developed in line with the principles and methods gazetted in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act No 291 of 2009, “Guideline regarding the determination of Bioregions and the Preparation of and publication of Bioregional Plans”.

Hawley & Desmet.P.2020. Eastern Cape Biodiversity and Conservation Plan, Freshwater CBA [shape file] version 5.2020. Eastern Cape South Africa: The Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environment Affairs and Tourism.

Copyright holder: Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism

To be utilised with the ECBCP (2019) Eastern Cape Biodiversity Conservation Plan Handbook. Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (King Williams Town). Compiled by G. Hawley, P. Desmet and D. Berliner.

The ECBCP2019 cannot be used to the exclusion of other environmental/biodiversity planning initiatives. Biodiversity Sector Plans/Bioregional Plans, developed at a finer scale, must be aligned with ECBCP2019 and adopted by the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs. District Municipalities may develop such plans.

The ECBCP2019 cannot replace onsite surveys and assessments for land use or application authorisation in terms of NEMA EIA Regulations.

The critical biodiversity map development followed a logical workflow.

The first component of the workflow established input data which consisted of Baseline

Datasets, Protected Areas, Biodiversity Features and Biodiversity Conditions.

The baseline datasets included:

? Area of Interest, Aerial Imagery, Digital Elevation Model, Cliffs, Relative Coastline

Visibility, and Integrated Land Cover (derived from DEA GTI 2013/2014)

? Protected Areas and Conservation Areas Input layers mapped formal and de facto

protected and conservation areas in the Eastern Cape.

? Spatial Biodiversity Framework input layers provided a simplified representation of the

Living Landscape concept embodied in the Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBA) Map. Its

purpose is to distil the complexity and key living landscape design elements of this

map (Core biodiversity conservation landscapes and ecological corridors) into a

conceptual framework that can be more easily visualised by stakeholders, and be

incorporated into provincial and national scale multi-sectoral planning tools.

The 2

nd process step of the workflow established the CBA map criteria of which guidance

was drawn from national guideline documents and bioregional plans from the North West

Province and Limpopo.

The 3

rd Process step included Output 1: Derived Data Layers. Integration of indicators into a

single cost score for each pixel* was done, using expert-derived, relative-importance ratings for

each indicator. Two weighting scenarios were considered. Results were used to generate a

‘biodiversity vulnerability surface’ for the Eastern Cape, and as a cost input into the MARXAN

analysis for the selection of least-cost priority biodiversity areas. The same data set, but with

indicator weightings adjusted to be relevant for each taxon, was also used to calculate mean

species vulnerability ratings, as well as to identify vulnerability hotspots within the distribution

ranges of a number of Eastern Cape red data species. The derived data layers included:

? Protected and Conservation Areas

? Planning Units (Terrestrial & Freshwater)

? Biodiversity features

? Integrated 2014 Land Cover

? Biodiversity Vulnerability

? Integrated Other Plans

Terrestrial Biodiversity Features

This section provides a summary of the biodiversity features inputs to the Eastern Cape

Biodiversity Conservation Plan that were used in the MARXAN analysis to develop the CBA

map. In total, biodiversity feature information coverage of the Eastern Cape is extremely

sparse. Of the 231 975 planning units used in the Marxan analysis, only 1720 (0.74%) have

point locality information; and, 178 494 (77%) have polygon feature information other than the

South African Vegetation Map (e.g. expert mapped areas). Only the South Africa vegetation

map covers the entire province, and therefore 23% of planning units have one biodiversity

feature in the analysis. An analysis of the Marxan feature x planning unit table shows that 34%

of PUs contain information for 3 or less features. It is essential that for future iterations of the

conservation plan that data density is increased to help make more informed decisions as to

what constitute CBA areas. It is recognised that field observations will never adequately sample

the entire province. Therefore, it is imperative that the available point locality data is used in

species distribution models to help expand the density of biodiversity data use in planning.

The 4

th Process of the workflow provided Output 2: headline statistics which included:

? Ecosystem Status

? Levels of Protection

The 5

th step in the workflow utilised Marxan Analysis. Terrestrial and Freshwater process

(Analysis) included the biodiversity features plus targets, cost (vulnerability + opportunity) plus

mandatory sites defined in other plans.

Using the CBA Criteria, the 6th workflow step, derived analysis for the estuary, freshwater and

terrestrial areas.

The 7th process combined the CBA Map Criteria Analysis and the Marxan Analysis to compile

the CBA Map input layers.

The final process was the creation of a CBA Map.

Input information has been incorporated into the final CBA map via four possible routes:

? Areas selected through the MARXAN analysis aimed to select enough sites to achieve

representation targets for vegetation types, species of conservation concern and

expert mapped areas important for biodiversity.

? Areas already identified as CBAs in existing plans and incorporated as is into the EC

plan include:

o Estuary – All estuaries except those mapped by this project.

o Fresh water – ‘National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas’ (NFEPA) fish

sanctuaries, Flagship Rivers and free flowing rivers.

o Terrestrial – none. CBAs in existing plan were integrated in to the Marxan

cost layer.

? Entire mapped extent of features considered as being important for biodiversity pattern

or process.

? Inputs used to inform the Marxan cost layer. These features do not appear in the final

CBA map.

? They are use only to manipulate the cost layer to increase or decrease the likelihood

of Marxan

? selecting a site to achieve any given target.

SANS 1878

FGDC-STD-001-1998