KZN Proclaimed Private Nature Reserves (2016)

Land Cover of KwaZulu-Natal - 2008 Version 1 (December 2010)

KZN community Conservation areas (2016). The boundaries captured in this file represent the boundaries of the CCAs according to the best available data to date. This coverage has both the proclaimed and unknown proclamation status areas.

KZN Landscape Ecological Corridors, Version 3.1. Identifying corridors in KZN, creating linkages in a fragmented landscape

This was derived from the grid version of the KZN 2008 Land-cover Version 1 as produced by GeoTerraImage. This is a binary ArcView grid indicating areas transformed and untransformed (natural). The categories selected for transformed/untransformed are listed in the “How the 2008 V1 LC was reclassified” text file.

This coverage represents an update of the vegetation map [kznveg05v210_wll] whose updates were completed on 4 September 2009. Several additions have been made which is represented in the Appendix 1 of the the KwaZulu – Natal Vegetation Type Description Document for Vegetation Map 2011. These additions were made based on data that was received in an effort to make the map more current and representative of KZN’s vegetation.

The 2005 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Land-Cover dataset is a geographically combined output of the previously released 2005 KZN Coastal Land-Cover dataset (see project report: KZN Coastal Land-Cover Mapping, 2006), and the follow-on KZN Interior Land-Cover dataset. The two land-cover datasets have been derived from equivalent SPOT2 & SPOT4 20 m imagery captured in 2005-06 and contain the same land-cover information classes and legend format.

Using the latest provincial vegetation map, accumulated transformation maps of the province and the biodiversity conservation targets for vegetation types, the conservation status for all the vegetation types were calculated. The degree of protection for each VT was calculated using formal protected areas and proclaimed stewardship nature reserves. KZN has four major biomes consisting of Grasslands, Savannas, Forests and the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt. Of the 101 VT’s and subtypes, 19 are Critically Endangered, 16 Endangered and 16 Vulnerable. Twenty six are adequately protected and meet their biodiversity conservation target, whilst 11 have 0% protection and a further 14 have less than 1% formal protection. This information is vital to guide conservation planning and protected area expansion in the province.

ESAs are required to support and sustain the ecological functioning of Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs).

Historical distribution of the vegetation types in KZN. Updates of this dataset completed in 2011.