STEP Coastal Corridors

Identified ‘Critical Biodiversity Areas’(CBAs) and ‘Ecological Support Areas’ (ESAs) from the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (Kirkwood et al., 2010), updated in 2014 (Pence) to more accurately reflect conditions relevant to land-use decision making. The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF) provides an edge-matched, wall-to-wall coverage of all standard CBA categories to inform land-use decision making. Areas have either been formally assessed as part of a recognised Systematic Biodiversity Plan or only have ‘known’ CBA and ESA features indicated. Witzenberg was divided into two on the basis of where fine scale planning was and was not done. Please see CBA_terrestrial_Witzenberg_1.shp and CBA_aquatic_and_ESA_Witzenberg_1.shp for the remainder of Witzenberg CBAs and ESAs

Protected Areas layer for the Cape Agulhas, De Hoop Management Area, Overstrand, Drakenstein Municipality, Swartland, Swellendam and Theewaterskloof Municipalities.

Processes were incorporated in the assessment by identifying their spatial dimensions and targeting these in their entirety. The spatial dimensions, or components, of processes are actually surrogates for biodiversity processes that operate at a regional scale. Processes included the following (details are described in Cowling et al. 2003): SPATIALLY FIXED - Biome interfaces; Ecological diversification of plant lineages; 500m buffer of untransformed habitat along thicket and adjacent biome (fynbos, grassland, succulent karoo and Nama-karoo); STEP vegetation typesHabitat transformation - Sand movement corridors; Inland movement of marine sands and associated soil development; Functional corridor comprising intact source and sink areas; Sand massesHabitat transformation - Riverine corridors; Migration and exchange between inland and coastal biotas; 250m buffer of untransformed habitat along riverine systems linking coastal and inland subregions; Perennial riversHabitat transformation - Coastal interface; Migration and exchange between patches of coastal thicket; 500m buffer of untransformed habitat along the coast.; CoastlineHabitat transformation SPATIALLY FLEXIBLE - Upland-lowland gradients; Ecological diversification of plant and animal lineages; migration of biota; 1km-wide strip of untransformed habitat linking the upland STEP boundary and the coast within each bio-region; Bio-regionsHabitat transformation - Macroclimatic gradients; Geographic diversification of plant and animal lineages; migration of biota; 1km strip of untransformed habitat linking major biogeographic zones; STEP vegetation typesHabitat transformation

Identified ‘Critical Biodiversity Areas’(CBAs) and ‘Ecological Support Areas’ (ESAs) from the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (Kirkwood et al., 2010), updated in 2014 (Pence) to more accurately reflect conditions relevant to land-use decision making. The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF) provides an edge-matched, wall-to-wall coverage of all standard CBA categories to inform land-use decision making. Areas have either been formally assessed as part of a recognised Systematic Biodiversity Plan or only have ‘known’ CBA and ESA features indicated.

Identified ‘Critical Biodiversity Areas’(CBAs) and ‘Ecological Support Areas’ (ESAs) from the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (Kirkwood et al., 2010), updated in 2014 (Pence) to more accurately reflect conditions relevant to land-use decision making. The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF) provides an edge-matched, wall-to-wall coverage of all standard CBA categories to inform land-use decision making. Areas have either been formally assessed as part of a recognised Systematic Biodiversity Plan or only have ‘known’ CBA and ESA features indicated.

Identified Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecological Support Areas in the CORE Planning Domain of WCDMA and northern Matzikama LM

Identified ‘Critical Biodiversity Areas’(CBAs) and ‘Ecological Support Areas’ (ESAs) from the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (Kirkwood et al., 2010), updated in 2014 (Pence) to more accurately reflect conditions relevant to land-use decision making. The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF) provides an edge-matched, wall-to-wall coverage of all standard CBA categories to inform land-use decision making. Areas have either been formally assessed as part of a recognised Systematic Biodiversity Plan or only have ‘known’ CBA and ESA features indicated.

Identified ‘Critical Biodiversity Areas’(CBAs) and ‘Ecological Support Areas’ (ESAs) from the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (Kirkwood et al., 2010), updated in 2014 (Pence) to more accurately reflect conditions relevant to land-use decision making. The Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF) provides an edge-matched, wall-to-wall coverage of all standard CBA categories to inform land-use decision making. Areas have either been formally assessed as part of a recognised Systematic Biodiversity Plan or only have ‘known’ CBA and ESA features indicated.