The Western Cape’s Spatial Biodiversity Plan

Biodiversity Planning ForumJune 2016

Genevieve Pence & Jason Pretorius

2016 Spatial Biodiversity Plan

• 1st province-wide analysis

• Updated ecosystem mapping

• 2013-14 Land cover

• Winning characteristics

– ‘Coarse-filter / fine-filter approach’

– Ecological infrastructure underpins CBA design

– Iterative selection to fully meet targets

• Mainstreaming path ______

• Land cover & remnants

• Planning units & status

• Features

– Biodiversity Pattern

– Ecological Infrastructure & Persistence

• Targets

• Analysis

• Data package

• Mainstreaming & Updating

Nuts and Bolts

Land cover Remnant update• 2013/14 GTI (W. Cape) Product

‒ Multi-season, 30m, more classes• Resampled (10m) & built environment revision

Planning Units CBAs

20 ha hexagons & PA boundaries

n = 560 890

Initial Status = Earmarked

Selection Frequency

• Ecosystems

– Vegetation Types

– Coastal Habitat Types

– Wetland Types

– River Types

– Estuaries

– Indigenous Forest Types

Biodiversity Pattern Features

• Species

– Threatened Plants

– Threatened Butterflies

– Threatened Reptiles

– Amphibian guild

– Fish

– BMP-S species

• Cape Mountain Zebra

• Bontebok

• Geometric Tortoise

• African Penguin

Biodiversity Pattern Features

8,600 endemics

Ecological Infrastructure & Persistence Features

Wetland

FEPA River

Riparian Functional Area

Estuarine Functional Area

FEPA Wetland Cluster

Climate Adaptation

Corridor

Foredune

Coastal Corridor

FEPA Subcatchment& Fish Support Area

Upland-lowland interface

Strategic Water Source Areas

High Groundwater Recharge Areas

Targets• Representation

– National targets & Pfab et al.

– 20% of original extent; 11 localities; 10 000 indv

• Persistence– 60% of original extent

– Rural extent

• Initial PU status

• Costs

• Calibration

• Marxan via QGIS & CLUZ

– ArcView 3.2 & CLUZ

Analysis

• Updated Ecosystem Threat Status & Protection Level information

• Best available science from provincial authority

• Map Categories– Basic (primary descriptor)

– Supplementary (additional descriptors)

• Use of overlay layers– Entire extent of features

– Listing Notice 3 triggers

• Handbook

Data package(s)

2%

26%

27%

17%

28%

No Natural Remaining

• All feedback will be reviewed and summarised annually.

• Issues related to land cover or habitat condition will be streamed separately, and either:– Investigated remotely (desktop assessment);

– Ground truthed; or

– Inform future data acquisition and/or classification.

• If new (reliable) land cover or habitat condition data is available, the status of CBAs (and ecosystems) will be reported on every second year.

• New CBAs will be determined every 4-5 years (assuming the necessary data are available).

How often will CBAs be updated?