News Flash: The LUDS Tool

Land Use Decision Support: Species of Conservation Concern Tool


The Land Use Decision Support: Species Conservation Concern (LUDS SCC) Tool is a comprehensive online biodiversity informatics platform created by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and hosted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). It is set to be launched in April 2023 and will provide spatial data on threatened terrestrial biodiversity that is readily accessible to all members of society. The tool contains distribution data on species of conservation concern of both plants and animals 1. The animal taxa currently included in the tool are amphibians, birds, butterflies, freshwater fish, mammals, reptiles, spiders, and other invertebrates (including a combination of grasshoppers, beetles, and millipedes).


The tool defines species of conservation concern as species listed as either Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened according to the latest IUCN Red List Assessments. Furthermore, the tool includes plant and invertebrate species assessed as Critically Rare and Rare by peer-reviewed national assessments.


The purpose of the tool is to allow any member of society access to objective and data-driven distribution information. In addition to assessing a species distribution at a national scale, users can create their own area of interest and generate a list of all threatened species of conservation concern contained within it. This should lead to more informed land use decision making and increased transparency during the Environmental Impact Assessment process, ultimately leading to more sustainable development. The launch of the tool will be accompanied by the publication of training materials housed on the EWT website.

Instructions to generate an SCC Report


The Land Use Decision Support (LUDS) Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) Tool is specifically designed to complement the DFFE screening tool and is available here.


  1. Drill into the area
    • Navigate to the specific area you want to analyse on the map.
  2. Access the Tools Menu
    • Locate and click the Tools icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
  3. Open the SCC Report Tab
    • From the tools ribbon, select the SCC Report tab.
  4. Initiate Report Creation
    • Click Create Report to start the process.
  5. Define the report area
    • Draw a polygon over the desired region on the map.
    • Once complete, click OK to confirm the selection.
  6. Customise report settings
    • Select a Theme (choose the relevant category for your report).
    • Select a Group (choose the appropriate grouping if applicable).
  7. Name the Report
    • Enter a descriptive name for your report.
  8. Send or save the report
    • You can send the report to your email address for delivery.
  9. Preview before sending (Optional)
    • To view the report before emailing:
      • Go to List Reports.
      • Locate your report and download it for review.

1 Species listed as vulnerable or potentially vulnerable to collecting, over-exploitation, commercial and/or medicinal use are not included in the tool to protect their locations.

Contact

Dr Oliver Cowan

Conservation & Data Scientist: Conservation Planning and Science Unit

Endangered Wildlife Trust

27 and 28 Austin Road, Glen Austin AH, Midrand, Gauteng

+27 11 372 3600

OliverC@ewt.org.za