Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The South African Protected Areas Database (SAPAD) contains spatial data for the conservation estate of South Africa. It includes spatial and attribute information for both formally protected areas and areas that have less formal protection. Data is collected by parcels which are aggregated to protected area level. Only outer boundaries are defined in this public release.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN /></P><P><SPAN>SAPAD is updated on a continuous basis. It forms the basis for the Register of Protected Areas which is a legislative requirement under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, Act 57 of 2003.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: 9d42428c9e9e4a749943038039198a9d
Copyright Text: Depratment of Environment Affairs, DEA
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>Focus areas for land-based protected area expansion are large, intact and unfragmented areas of high importance for biodiversity representation and ecological persistence, suitable for the creation or expansion of large protected areas. The focus areas were identified through a systematic biodiversity planning process undertaken as part of the development of the National Protected Area Expansion Strategy 2008 (NPAES). They present the best opportunities for meeting the ecosystem-specific protected area targets set in the NPAES, and were designed with strong</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN>emphasis on climate change resilience and requirements for protecting freshwater ecosystems. These areas should not be seen as future boundaries of protected areas, as in many cases only a portion of a particular focus area would be required to meet the protected area targets set in the NPAES. They are also not a replacement for finescale planning which may identify a range of different priority sites based on local requirements, constraints and opportunities. </SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The identification and demarcation of Protected areas was undertaken as part of the development of the National</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN>Protected Area Expansion Strategy 2008 (NPAES). A Protected Areas layer is critical to identify what the current protection levels of habitat biodiversity are,</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN>which helps identify where future conservation efforts should be focused. </SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: 9d42428c9e9e4a749943038039198a9d
Copyright Text: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANParks
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The identification and demarcation of Protected areas was undertaken as part of the development of the National Protected Area Expansion Strategy 2008(NPAES). A Protected Areas layer is critical to identify what the current protection levels of habitat biodiversity are,which helps identify where future</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN>conservation efforts should be</SPAN><SPAN /><SPAN>focused. </SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: 9d42428c9e9e4a749943038039198a9d
Copyright Text: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANParks
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;"><SPAN STYLE="font-size:10pt">The layer of South African protected areas was compiled using data from different sources. Those were provincial conservation agencies, South African National Parks (SANPARKS), </SPAN></P><P STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;"><SPAN STYLE="font-size:10pt">Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and other organisations. Recent data on protected areas for each province was derived separately from these different sources. The data from the nine provinces of South Africa was then combined together to form a layer of protected areas. Names of protected areas used in each province were standardised. Protected areas were further classified into 3 types. Type 1 protected areas includes National Parks, Nature Reserves, Provincial Nature Reserves, Local Authority Nature Reserves and DWAF Forest Nature Reserves. Type 2 protected areas includes the Catchment Areas, Wildlife Management Area, Private Nature Reserves, National Heritage Sites, SANDF property, Bird Sanctuary, Botanical Garden, State Land, Mountain Catchment Area, DWAF Forest Area. Type 3 protected areas include Game Farms, Other Conservation Areas, and Game Reserves.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: South African National biodiversity Institute
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN STYLE="font-size:10pt">Ecosystem status of vegetation types was derived from the new vegetation map of South Africa (see Mucina, L and Rutherford, M.C. 2004). Ecosystem status consists of the following categories: critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or least threatened. Ecosystem status was calculated based on the percentage of remaining vegetation area (i.e. not transformed by agriculture, mining, forestry plantations, roads and urban areas) and the biodiversity target set for each vegetation type. The ecosystem status of vegetation types which cannot longer meet its biodiversity target due to habitat transformation was set to “critically endangered” that means the percentage of remaining vegetation type is less than what is required to capture species diversity (biodiversity target). The ecosystem status of other vegetation types was set as follows:- if % of remaining area <60% of original area then status = endangered- if % of remaining area <80% of original area then status = vulnerable- if % of remaining area >80% of original area then status = least threatened.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN STYLE="font-size:10pt">The protection level quantifies the extent to which vegetation types are protected within conservation areas. The protection level was expressed as the percentage of the biodiversity target met in statutory protected areas (type 1 protected areas). A value of 100% and above means that the vegetation type is adequately conserved in protected areas, while a value of 0 means that the vegetation type is not represented at all in any protected area. </SPAN></P><P><SPAN /><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: South African National Biodiversity Institute.