CAPE Lowlands Renosterveld – Ecological Processes (River Corridors). Riverine corridors along all perennial rivers. These are spatial components of ecological and evolutionary processes such as seed dispersal, pollinator movement along strips of riparian habitat. Other ecological and hydrological processes are dependent on the water course. All perennial rivers were identified. A 100 m buffer was mapped on each side of the river. The buffer was divided into sections, which were identified according to the land use - ‘natural vegetation’, ‘cultivated land’ or ‘urban area’.

South African estuaries

This layer maps the distribution of wetlands and their types

SKEP Expert Maps (Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Insect, Invertebrates, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles). The SKEP expert maps (Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Insect, Invertebrates, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles) were mapped by experts on 1:250 000 topocadastral maps and digitized by Benis Egoh (IPC).

River corridors within the SKEP planning domain

The MBCP Aquatic Biodiversity Assessment was generated using MARXAN software in a Systematic Conservation Planning process. Subcatchments were use as planning units and modelled from 90m DEM with minimum size of 2500 ha. 157 Biodiversity and water production features, and targets were used in the analysis. The resulting ‘irreplaceability’ values and most efficient planning unit selection were categorized into biodiversity value classes.

Aquatic Critical Biodiversity Areas for the Eastern Cape

Aquatic CBA and ESA for the NW province, with layer file.

These data represent aquatic sites identified as Critical Biodiversity Areas through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. They include both the aquatic feature itself as well as the required buffer area surrounding the aquatic feature. Taken as a whole (aquatic plus terrestrial CBAs), these represent the sites required to meet biodiversity pattern targets and ecological process objectives. The loss of a single site would therefore compromise the meeting of targets and objectives. Thus it is recommended that the sites be managed in a manner compatible with biodiversity conservation, and ultimately remain in, or be restored to, a natural state. Ecological composition, structure, and function must be preserved. For more information about how CBAs (Critical Biodiversity Areas), CESAs (Critical Ecological Support Areas), and OESAs (Other Ecological Support Areas) were selected see: • Pence, Genevieve Q.K. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Systematic Conservation Planning Assessment: Technical Report. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa. For more information about the freshwater component of FSP see: • Job, N., Snaddon, K., Day, L., Nel, J. and Smith-Adoa, L. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-scale Biodiversity Planning Project: Freshwater Ecosystems of the North-west Sandveld and Saldanha Peninsula planning domain. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa

These data represent aquatic sites identified as Critical Biodiversity Areas through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. They include both the aquatic feature itself as well as the required buffer area surrounding the aquatic feature. Taken as a whole (aquatic plus terrestrial CBAs), these represent the sites required to meet biodiversity pattern targets and ecological process objectives. The loss of a single site would therefore compromise the meeting of targets and objectives. Thus it is recommended that the sites be managed in a manner compatible with biodiversity conservation, and ultimately remain in, or be restored to, a natural state. Ecological composition, structure, and function must be preserved. For more information about how CBAs (Critical Biodiversity Areas), CESAs (Critical Ecological Support Areas), and OESAs (Other Ecological Support Areas) were selected see: Pence, Genevieve Q.K. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Systematic Conservation Planning Assessment: Technical Report. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa. For more information about the freshwater component of FSP see: Job, N., Snaddon, K., Day, L., Nel, J. and Smith-Adoa, L. 2008 (in prep). C.A.P.E. Fine-scale Biodiversity Planning Project: Freshwater Ecosystems of the North-west Sandveld and Saldanha Peninsula planning domain. Produced for CapeNature. Cape Town, South Africa.