Represents land cover for the Hantam Local Municipality and adjacent district municipality. Landcover is categorized into 6 land cover types: Natural, Near Natural, Degraded, Cultivated and Transformed.

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.

The Original extent of vegetation types mapped for the Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning Domains: Saldanha, North West Sandveld and Bokkeveld patched into the South African Vegetation Map, clipped to the planning domain of the Bergriver Municipality. This layer represents the integrated layer of the detailed vegetation map of the Saldanha Peninsula, North West Sandveld and Bokkeveld planning domain in the Western Cape, the South African Vegetation map (NSBA 2004), Nieuwoudtville Conservation Farming Project Vegetation Map and extracts from Barry Low’s Dune Ecosystem Layer. Vegetation categories were based on the South African vegetation types of Mucina & Rutherford (2006), but it was necessary to describe a several new, previously unrecognised vegetation types in the Fine-Scale Planning Domains. Certain vegetation boundaries were substantially redrawn from those presented in Mucina & Rutherford (2006).

These data represent aquatic sites identified as Other Ecological Support Areas (OESAs) through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. Fine-Scale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. OESA include the aquatic feature itself as well as the buffer areas around the aquatic feature. One of two files: OESA polygons and polylines. OESAs are supporting zones required to prevent degradation of critical biodiversity areas, critical ecological support areas and protected areas. Ecological functioning should be maintained. 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 Other Ecological Support Areas (OESAs) through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. Fine Scale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. One of two files: OESA polygons and polylines. OESA’s are Supporting zones required to prevent degradation of critical \ biodiversity areas, critical ecological support areas and protected areas. Ecological functioning should be kept in tact. 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 Ecological Support Areas (CESAs) through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. FineScale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. CESAs include both the aquatic feature as well as the required buffer area surrounding the aquatic feature. One of two files: CESA polygons and polylines. Critical Ecological Support Areas are zones required for preventing degradation of Critical Biodiversity Areas*, and thus require moderate to high levels of protection and/or management. Various moderate impact land management options exist, but ecological structure and functioning must be preserved. Critical Biodiversity Areas (terrestrial and aquatic) represent the sites required to meet biodiversity pattern targets and ecological process objectives. The loss of a single site would compromise the meeting of targets and objectives. 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.

This dataset represents all natural areas that have not been recognized as Critical Biodiversity Areas (aquatic and terrestrial), Ecological Support Areas (critical and other) or National Protected Areas but are also not considered to be irreversibly transformed (No Natural Remaining Areas). It can include natural, near natural or degraded lands. Below are the stages followed to come up with this dataset: • Merge the CBA, CESA, OESA and National Protected Areas • Do a vector to raster conversion on the merged file - setting the spatial resolution to 10 m • Reclass the landcover summary map by combining the natural, near natural and degraded into one class and masking out the production and transformed landcover classes. • Define the projection for the datasets • Resample/ Layerstack the two datasets • Using the Map Algebra/ Map Calculator subtract the merged file from the reclassed landcover summary • Reclass the Resultant Image (Other Natural Areas)

South African National Protected Area Dataset Assembly Assembly of the dataset was a joint venture between SANParks and SANBI. An earlier national protected areas layer, prepared for the NSBA project was used as the starting point, and was updated to reflect the current state of protected areas in South Africa. This included the addition of new reserves, changes to protected areas, and correction of identified errors. Data for formal protected areas was updated based on data received from SANParks, and the following provinces: Northwest, Northern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Previously used categories of protected areas were retained in the <Spec_Type> field, but were categorized into Formal_A, Formal_B, and Informal Conservation Area System categories in the <PA_Categ> field (see Table 1), as part of the National Protected Areas Expansion Conservation Assessment. Note that the dataset can be considered fairly reliable for the formal protected area system, but is known to contain significant errors and omissions in the Informal Conservation Area system data. NOTE - Only the Formal A protected areas were provided as part of the CBA maps. Categorisation of Protected Areas Formal Protected Area System (Formal A) • DWAF Forest Area • DWAF Nature Reserce • Island Reserve • National Park • Nature Reserve (state and formally proclaimed private reserves only) • Marine Protected Area • Primary conservation area (DWAF) • Provincial Nature Reserve • Special Nature Reserve • Special Protection Forest • State Forest Nature Reserve • Wilderness Area • World Heritage Site (excluding cultural only sites) Formal B • Local Authority Nature Reserve • Mountain Catchment Area • Municipal Nature Reserve • National Botanical Garden • Protected Natural Environment • Conservation Management Area

These data represent terrestrial sites identified as Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) through the systematic assessment conducted by the C.A.P.E. FineScale Biodiversity Planning (FSP) project. Taken as a whole (terrestrial plus aquatic 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.

The data represent all the areas with no remaining natural vegetation which have not been recognized as Critical Biodiversity Areas (aquatic and terrestrial), Ecological Support Areas (critical and other) or National Protected Areas. These areas are considered irreversibly transformed as rehabilitation would be unfeasible. Below are the stages that were followed to come up with this dataset: • Merge the CBA, CESA, OESA and National Protected Areas • Do a vector to raster conversion on the merged file - setting the spatial resolution to 10 m • Reclass the landcover summary map by combining the production and transformed into one class and masking out the natural, near natural and degraded landcover classes. • Define the projection for the datasets • Resample/ Layerstack the two datasets • Using the Map Algebra/ Map Calculator subtract the merged file from the reclassed landcover summary • Reclass the Resultant Image (No Natural Remaining Areas)