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 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)

River corridors within the SKEP planning domain

Wetlands, functional wetland types, wetland groupings and corresponding SA veg types for the priority and non-priority area of the Matzikama Local Municipality.

Mountain Catchment Areas for the Witzenberg Municipality

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. Matzikama Municipality has been divided into two on the basis of where fine scale planning was and was not done. Please see CBA_and_ESA_DMA01.shp for the remainder of Matzikama CBAs and ESAs

The NBA2018 cumulative marine pressure dataset combines 31 marine pressure datasets (e.g. the location of 20 fishery activities, petroleum activities etc). Pressure data is a key input into assessing ecosystem condition.

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.

Remaining Natural and degraded areas of the Overberg Planning Domain not classified as PAS, CBAs or ESAs. A detailed description is available in the document: Overberg_Critical_Biodiversity_Areas_and_Ecological_Support_Areas_Metadata.doc.