This layer data represent sites identified for the Critical Biodiversity Area Map through the systematic assessment conducted for the Overberg District Municipality as part of the C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. The layer comprises Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) and Ecological Support Areas (ESAs). As much of the Overberg is already transformed, most remaining areas are of high conservation value, thus Other Natural Areas (ONAs) comprise a relatively small area of the Planning Domain, and are relegated to their own shapefile (Overberg_Other_Natural_Areas.shp) with its associated metadata (Overberg_Other_Natural_Areas_Metadata.doc).

The CBA map aims to guide sustainable development by providing a synthesis of biodiversity information to decision makers. It serves as the common reference for all multi-sectoral planning procedures, advising which areas can be developed, and which areas of critical biodiversity value and their support zones should be protected against any impacts. The broad objective is to ensure appropriate land-use and planning for the best possible long-term benefits and to promote integrated management of natural resources.

The CBA map indicates areas of land as well as aquatic features which must be safeguarded in their natural state if biodiversity pattern and process are to persist and ecosystems are to continue functioning. Land in this category is referred to as Critical Biodiversity Areas. CBAs incorporate (i) areas that need to be safeguarded in order to meet national biodiversity thresholds; (ii) areas required to ensure the continued existence and functioning of species and ecosystems, including the delivery of ecosystem services; and/or (iii) important locations for biodiversity features or rare species.

Ecological Support Areas are supporting zones required to prevent the degradation of Critical Biodiversity Areas and Protected Areas. These may include areas that are degraded or even transformed if these areas still play an important role in supporting CBAs (e.g. heavily invaded riparian strips or farmland within a coastal corridor). “Other Natural Areas” are areas of natural vegetation that were not identified as Critical Biodiversity Areas or Ecological Support Areas during the conservation planning process. Although these areas are not required to meet targets at present, they should still be subject to appropriate rural development controls and authorisations (e.g. there may be other reasons such as urban edge delineation or environmental impacts) and where possible development should be located in already transformed or disturbed areas rather than in natural areas. It is possible that high value biodiversity features such as previously unidentified threatened species or small wetlands could be present in these areas, and use of the precautionary principle and sites visits are always advisable. Further, as a certain amount of loss of Critical Biodiversity Areas or Ecological Support Areas is inevitable, in the future some of the “Other Natural Areas” may be required to meet targets, and hence excessive loss of

natural habitat should be avoided where possible.

The CBA map identifies areas that have been irreversibly transformed through development (e.g. urban development, plantation, agriculture). These areas are referred to as “No Natural Areas Remaining”. These no longer contribute to the biodiversity of the area. However, there are a few exceptions where small patches of land (partially or wholly transformed or degraded land) have been classified as ESAs or even CBAs. The reason is that these exceptions support biodiversity in some way (e.g. strips of natural veld growing between cultivated areas can still form important stepping stones for species to migrate, which means that this kind of land-use provides a corridor, classified as an ESA or CBA). Such areas require some form of safeguarding e.g. no further intensification of land use should be permitted. For more information about how CBAs (Critical Biodiversity Areas) and ESAs (Ecological Support Areas were selected see: Vromans, D.C., Maree, K.S., Holness, S., Job, N. and Brown, A.E. (2010). The Garden Route Biodiversity Sector Plan for the George, Knysna and Bitou Municipalities. Supporting land-use planning and decision-making in Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecological Support Areas for sustainable development. Garden Route Initiative. South African National Parks. Knysna.