Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006
Background: The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (National Vegetation Map [NVM]) is a fundamental data set that is updated periodically. The National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA) 2018 process provided an opportunity for a more comprehensive revision of the NVM and better alignm...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
South African National Biodiversity Institut
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.abcjournal.aosis.co.za/index.php/abc/article/view/2452 |
| _version_ | 1828809042897666048 |
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| author | Anisha Dayaram Linda R. Harris Barend A. Grobler Stephni van der Merwe Anthony G. Rebelo Leslie Ward Powrie Johannes H.J. Vlok Philip G. Desmet Mcebisi Qabaqaba Keneilwe M. Hlahane Andrew L. Skowno |
| author_facet | Anisha Dayaram Linda R. Harris Barend A. Grobler Stephni van der Merwe Anthony G. Rebelo Leslie Ward Powrie Johannes H.J. Vlok Philip G. Desmet Mcebisi Qabaqaba Keneilwe M. Hlahane Andrew L. Skowno |
| author_sort | Anisha Dayaram |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (National Vegetation Map [NVM]) is a fundamental data set that is updated periodically. The National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA) 2018 process provided an opportunity for a more comprehensive revision of the NVM and better alignment between the terrestrial, marine and estuarine ecosystem maps.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to update the NVM 2018 and quantify spatial and classification changes since NVM 2012, and describe the rationale and data sources utilised. We also quantified spatial errors corrected in this version, highlighted progress since NVM 2006, and identified errors and gaps to make recommendations for future revisions.
Method: Edits made to the NVM in ArcMap 10.4 were categorised into the following five groups for analysis: (1) New types, (2) Boundary edits, (3) Realm re-assignment, (4) Removed and replaced vegetation types and (5) Deleted map area. Changes were quantified by category and biome. We used various software platforms to correct and quantify spatial errors since 2006.
Results: Vegetation types were added (n = 47), removed (n = 35) and had boundary edits (n = 107) in NVM 2018, which affected over 5% of the total map area, compared to 2.6% (2012) and 0.5% (2009) for previous versions. Several sources of error were identified and fixed, and prompted the development of standard mapping protocols.
Conclusion: National Vegetation Map 2018 is the most substantial revision of this data set that now fully aligns with maps of all other realms that form part of the NBA. However, parts of the map remain unrefined and provide opportunities for future work. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:49:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d19725d1670140798fdc87795f988917 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0006-8241 2311-9284 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:49:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | South African National Biodiversity Institut |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-d19725d1670140798fdc87795f9889172022-12-22T00:30:17ZengSouth African National Biodiversity InstitutBothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation0006-82412311-92842019-10-01491e1e1110.4102/abc.v49i1.24521985Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006Anisha Dayaram0Linda R. Harris1Barend A. Grobler2Stephni van der Merwe3Anthony G. Rebelo4Leslie Ward Powrie5Johannes H.J. Vlok6Philip G. Desmet7Mcebisi Qabaqaba8Keneilwe M. Hlahane9Andrew L. Skowno10South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa; and, Restoration and Conservation Biology Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgCoastal and Marine Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; and, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port ElizabethAfrican Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Department of Botany, Nelson Mandela University, Port ElizabethSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape TownSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape TownSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape TownDepartment of Botany, Nelson Mandela University, Port ElizabethDepartment of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port ElizabethSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape TownSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape TownSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa; and, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownBackground: The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (National Vegetation Map [NVM]) is a fundamental data set that is updated periodically. The National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA) 2018 process provided an opportunity for a more comprehensive revision of the NVM and better alignment between the terrestrial, marine and estuarine ecosystem maps. Objectives: The aim of this study was to update the NVM 2018 and quantify spatial and classification changes since NVM 2012, and describe the rationale and data sources utilised. We also quantified spatial errors corrected in this version, highlighted progress since NVM 2006, and identified errors and gaps to make recommendations for future revisions. Method: Edits made to the NVM in ArcMap 10.4 were categorised into the following five groups for analysis: (1) New types, (2) Boundary edits, (3) Realm re-assignment, (4) Removed and replaced vegetation types and (5) Deleted map area. Changes were quantified by category and biome. We used various software platforms to correct and quantify spatial errors since 2006. Results: Vegetation types were added (n = 47), removed (n = 35) and had boundary edits (n = 107) in NVM 2018, which affected over 5% of the total map area, compared to 2.6% (2012) and 0.5% (2009) for previous versions. Several sources of error were identified and fixed, and prompted the development of standard mapping protocols. Conclusion: National Vegetation Map 2018 is the most substantial revision of this data set that now fully aligns with maps of all other realms that form part of the NBA. However, parts of the map remain unrefined and provide opportunities for future work.https://journals.abcjournal.aosis.co.za/index.php/abc/article/view/2452vegmap projectnational vegetation mapnational biodiversity assessmentvegetation mappingvegetation classification |
| spellingShingle | Anisha Dayaram Linda R. Harris Barend A. Grobler Stephni van der Merwe Anthony G. Rebelo Leslie Ward Powrie Johannes H.J. Vlok Philip G. Desmet Mcebisi Qabaqaba Keneilwe M. Hlahane Andrew L. Skowno Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 Bothalia: African Biodiversity & Conservation vegmap project national vegetation map national biodiversity assessment vegetation mapping vegetation classification |
| title | Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 |
| title_full | Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 |
| title_short | Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland 2018: A description of changes since 2006 |
| title_sort | vegetation map of south africa lesotho and swaziland 2018 a description of changes since 2006 |
| topic | vegmap project national vegetation map national biodiversity assessment vegetation mapping vegetation classification |
| url | https://journals.abcjournal.aosis.co.za/index.php/abc/article/view/2452 |
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