Mapping Details

General: An electronic version (ARC/INFO) of the data base is available from Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Details and prices are available from the Department. The data base includes internal polygons containing subtypes and transformed land within some of the vegetation units (see below) and is thus more detailed than the paper version.

Eastern Cape: Source: In 1983 Acocks's map for the Eastern Cape. was revised at a 1:250 000 scale for the symposium "Towards an Environmental Plan for the Eastern Cape." The symposium was published in Lubke et al. (1988). The thicket vegetation was incorporated into this map from data supplied by Graeme La Cock (Eastern Cape Nature Conservation) from an aerial photographic survey. Revised maps were digitized at Rhodes University and supplied in electronic form. Capture: The Fynbos Biome data were superimposed over the Eastern Cape Fynbos data. Because this region was not incorporated in the Biome approach, some fine tuning of the units had to done to correlate with units elsewhere.

Fynbos Biome: Source: Moll & Bossi (1983) 1:250 000 Fynbos Biome Map, compiled from LANDSAT data. These data only included Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation types: other types were provided by the other Biome teams. Capture: Data were digitized from photocopied and therefore distorted - 1:250 000 paper maps of unspecified projection, but matching the South Africa 1:250 000 series maps. Mapping errors were minimized by locating tick points at every half degree intersection. Notes: The electronic version includes internal boundaries between subtypes (e.g. Dry, Mesic and Wet Mountain Fynbos), artificial and natural water bodies, and land which has been transformed to agriculture. Due to an editing error, the original Moll & Bossi codes detailing the current land-use and subtypes within Fynbos vegetation types in the PAT file are not available.

Forest Biome: Source: South African National Scientific Programmes Report 154 (1:250 000) maps and the Forest Biome Project Map (based on 1:50 000) of the National Programme for Ecosystem Research were used for forests. Capture: Because of this fine scale and high resolution, these data were clipped in over all other types. Notes: Data for Swaziland were not available.

Grassland and Savanna Biomes: Source: From original work by the authors, and including some information from Acocks'. Capture: Data were digitized at a 1:1 000 000 scale. Data from Eastern Cape were roughly produced with inadequate tick points and had to be rubber sheeted to match the coastline and the Eastern Cape data. For Swaziland, the vegetation map of Mabuso (1967) was modified. Acknowledgement: PJ du Preez contributed to the grassland maps.

Karoo Biomes: Source: Mapped units are based on Acocks' Veld Types, but incorporate unpublished changes made by Acocks between 1953 and 1979. Physiognomic criteria, based on Acocks' growth form data, were mainly used to amalgamate the Karoo and False Karoo types into units. Capture: Boundaries were digitized from a 1:1 000 000 geological map with vegetation boundaries superimposed. Spekboom Succulent Thicket was included at a late stage and an electronic version of Acocks' Veld Type 25 (1:1 000 000) was clipped in around Fynbos vegetation types.