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To be used as the wetlands (including estuaries) base data layer in the Upper Breede Valley C.A.P.E. finescale biodiversity plans.These plans are to serve as the primary spatial biodiversity informant guiding proactiveconservation action and directing land-use planning and reactive decision-making in local, provincial and national spheres of government.

No Copyright

Methodology:

1:10 000 colour aerial photographs (obtained from DWAF and SANBI) were used as background for digitising, with SPOT5 imagery (approx. 1:55 000 scale) as support. The following existing data layers were used to assist with the location and extent of wetlands in this domain:

(i) Sensitive wetlands of the Western Cape Province: This GIS layer is available from CapeNature (Shaw and de Villiers 2001), and contains boundaries of known and sampled sensitive wetlands.

(ii) Beta Version of the South African Wetlands Map: Available on the BGIS website:

http://bgis.sanbi.org . Click the National Wetlands Inventory link on the BGIS homepage which will redirect you to the National Wetlands Inventory homepage. This GIS layer was derived as part of the National Land Cover 2000 project, using mapping and modelling techniques that enhanced wetland detection.

(iii) C.A.P.E. wetlands layer: This dataset, produced for the 2000 C.A.P.E. freshwater prioritisation project, was drawn from the layer provided by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) for use in a directory of (major) South African Wetlands.

(iv) Western Cape Wetlands Directory (Dallas et al., 2005): This project collated existing information on wetlands in the Western Cape into one Western Cape Wetlands Directory database. All data in the database were used to generate a point coverage. The point data corresponds to entries in database which list available information about that point.

All wetlands were typed according to the National Wetland Inventory Classification System, up to the structural unit level, and wetland names provided where these exist. The major impacts that could be observed off aerial photography were also recorded.

A sub-sample of wetlands was ground-truthed in order to check typing, location, extent and impacts. Photographs of wetland types and wetland groups were taken, but these will be stored in an additional database.

Available documentation:

Snaddon, K. Job, N., Day, E, Nel. J and Smith Adao. L. C.A.P.E. fine-scale planning project: Surface freshwater ecosystems methodology report. 2007.

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.)

SANS 1878

FGDC-STD-001-1998