1.0

To better understand the land-cover occurring in KZN in order to strategically plan for biodiversity conservation

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

Methodology:

This coverage represents a modified version of the original KZN 2005 Land Cover (kzn_2005_landcover_geo_wgs84_dec2007.img). It is the first editorial improvements to the original KZN 2005 Land Cover Version 1 produced by GeoTerraImage - see KZN Province LandCover Mapping (From SPOT 2/4 Satellite Imagery 2005-06: Data Users Report and Metadata (version 2.0). The broad category Natural Water was split into 4 categories: 1 - Natural Fresh Water, 36 - Dams, 37 - Estuarine Water, 38 - Marine Water. The dataset was

clipped to the boundary of KZN.

Notes:

The following edits were made:

1. The broad category Natural Water was split into 4 categories:

- Natural Fresh Water

- Dams

- Estuarine Water

- Marine Water

The following process was used:

- The dams were first identified using the kzn dams coverage (KZNDamFinalLL2007). The remaining fresh water surfaces (extracted from the Land Cover) were then compared with SPOT5 images (2006) and reclassified dams based on the imagery.

- The estuarine waters were determined using the kzn estuarine coverage (estuaries_wdd).

- A new category, 'Coastal Sand and Rock' was created along the interface between the KZN boundary (which follows the vegetation line) and the low water mark (lowwater2_lo31).

- All area's seaward of the Low Water mark were reclassified as 'Marine Water'. The estuarine Waters were defined as those 'Water-nat' features that were located landward of the low water mark, and which corresponded with the estuarine habitats identified in the

estuarine coverage (estuaries_wdd). In cases were the estuaries were known to be permanently open to the sea (as per the Estuarine database (2002)), all the 'Water-nat' features to the landward of the low water mark were reclassified as 'Estuarine Water'. If the originally classified 'Water-nat' feature did not extent down to the 'Marine Water' feature, or is known to be a closed estuary, the 'Coastal Sand and Rock' feature was extended across the mouth of the estuary using the Lowwater mark as the eastern guide, and the (kzn_coastline_wdd) (which represents the KZN vegetation line) as the western guide [aerial photography was also used].

2. The provincial boundaries displayed are in accordance with the standard KZNW Provincial boundaries coverage (kzn_bnd_wdd).

3. Any classificational errors noted when comparing the KZN Land Cover data with the SPOT5 imagery were corrected e.g. an urban

structure originally classified as water was re-classified urban.

4. 'no data' category as per KZN 2005 Land Cover has been reclassified to 'Outside KZN' for all terrestrial areas and as 'Marine Water' for

the area encompassing the marine component. Additional information:

Data Format Raster

File Format Grid

Extension aux

Row Count 24251

Column Count 21827

Spatial Objects 20x20m cells

Available documentation:

- KZN 2005 Landcover Final Report02

- LC comparison

SANS 1878

FGDC-STD-001-1998