SANBI Biodiversity GIS (BGIS)

Theme: Environment Date Added: 2018-12-18

What is it?

SANBI BGIS publishes biodiversity-related spatial datasets along with detailed meta-data. Also view data through a map view and generate PDF analysis reports for areas of interest.

Key Points

  • Vegetation, land cover and threatened ecosystem data
  • Download datasets directly, without login
  • Map views of most data
  • Land Use Decision Support tool to generate PDF analysis

Why is it Important?

South Africa's unusually high biodiversity is a national asset that needs to be protected for environmental, social and economic benefit. The BGIS portal gives government officials, and especially urban planners, important tools and data for understanding how biodiversity can be managed.


How can it be accessed and used?

The key components of the BGIS can be accessed via the home page.. Highlights include:

Spatial Datasets: Search or browse for spatially-oriented biodiversity datasets.

Map Viewers: Online mapping tool to view biodiversity data. Select a region, add or remove layers of data.

Land Use Decision Support Tool (LUDS): LUDS enables BGIS users to conduct basic environmental assessment on a land parcel. To use the tool, users simply have to locate their area of interest and the system will extract and report on the most important biodiversity planning information for that area.

NFEPA fish sanctuaries (all species) 2011

Location: South Africa
Format: SHP
Year: 2011Last Checked:None
Online: Access URL
Column/
File Names:
  • SQ4HASH: Sub-quaternary catchment area unique identifier
  • SP*****: Species code
  • NOFISSANC: Total number of (near)threatened species in catchment

2012 Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland

Location: Southern Africa
Format: SHP
Year: 2012Last Checked:None
Online: Access URL
Column/
File Names:
  • BIOREGION: Name of Bioregion
  • SHAPE_AREA: Area of an individual polygon
  • LEGEND: Vegetation type name and code
  • land
  • location
  • environment
  • conservation
  • oceans

Resource contact name:South African National Biodiversity Institute

Creation or start date:2018-12-18

Resource contact updated at:2018-12-19

Spatial coverage  South Africa http://www.geonames.org/953987/south-africa.html

Where else has the resource been used?

Year Project Name::
2018 Managing Urban Plant Invasions: a Multi-Criteria Prioritization Approach
2017 The economics of landscape restoration: Benefits of controlling bush encroachment and invasive plant species in South Africa and Namibia
2016 The wood charcoal evidence from renewed excavations at Elands Bay Cave, South Africa