Description of Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs)
CBAs (as defined by SANBI in the document “SANBI Guideline for Publishing Bioregional Plans”) are features critical for the conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecosystem functioning and should remain in a natural state as far as possible. CBAs must also include aquatic components, so it is imperative that results from an aquatic Species Conservation Assessment be integrated into the results of this terrestrial analysis. In the meantime, all natural wetlands are considered part of the Biodiversity Network. To assist in the development of these CBAs, each planning unit was characterized on the basis of:
- Reason for or stage of planning unit inclusion during the selection process
- Location in expert defined corridors
- Ecosystem status
- Planning unit condition (high, medium or restorable)
We combined the various groupings from the analysis into the following CBA categories:
| CBA Category |
CBA name |
| Protected |
Conservation Areas |
| CBA 1a |
Irreplaceable Core Flora sites |
| CBA 1b |
Irreplaceable High & Medium Condition sites |
| CBA 1c |
Minset High & Medium Condition sites |
| CBA 1d |
Irreplaceable Consolidation sites |
| CBA1e |
Connectivity sites |
| CBA 2 |
Restorable Irreplaceable sites |
| CESA 1a * |
Transformed sites of Conservation Significance |
| CESA 1b * |
Additional Wetlands, Rivers & Groundwater Recharge areas |
| Other Natural vegetation |
Unselected natural vegetation in high, medium or restorable condition |
| No Natural Habitat |
Unselected Transformed Sites |
* Indigenous vegetation remnants in the CESA 1a and CESA 1b categories are in the process of being identified and this information is not yet available.
Please note that the latest analysis to select remnants to meet the City's conservation targets used a new remnant layer based on 2005 aerial photography which has been ground-truthed for habitat condition and a new City vegetation map aligned to the SANBI 2004 National Vegetation Map. All rivers and wetlands are considered part of the Biodiversity Network (although mapping these in detail has not been completed for the City). For detailed maps incorporating the habitat condition, please contact Dr Pat Holmes at the City of Cape Town.
