Environmental Assessment
Volume C-4.2
Slurry Pipeline
Fauna
Ambatovy Project
107
January 2006
restored. All other impacted habitats in the slurry pipeline LSA are predicted to
have a low environmental consequence because the magnitude of the areal extent
of the impact is low. The creation of the edge habitat only occurs once for each
habitat during site clearing and the effects are reversible. The duration of edge
effects for the water and wetlands habitats depend on whether they occur within
forested (long-term) or non-forested (medium-term) habitats.
Prediction Confidence
Prediction confidence for areal extent of impacts to habitats as a result of edge
effects is high as these impacts were spatially modelled. Effects on specific
faunal groups is less well understood, given our level of understanding of
species’ ecology. The level of confidence for effects on fauna is medium.
Monitoring
As the indirect effects of sensory disturbance due to construction and operation
will be temporary, no formal monitoring program is proposed. In areas near the
mine site, monitoring of select species in the azonal and transitional habitats will
occur as part of the general fauna monitoring program (Volume B, Section 4.2).
Direct Mortality
Potential Impact Pathways
For justification of the potential causes of direct mortality, see Volume B,
Section 4.2. The potential impacts will occur mainly in areas along the proposed
pipeline route where primary habitats currently exist. Direct mortality may result
from site clearing, nuisance fauna attracted to temporary camp facilities, vehicle-
fauna collisions mainly during construction, and hunting and collecting
opportunities gained through new access.
Assessment Methods
As a correlate of mortality due to site clearing, the areal extent determined for
direct habitat loss was used. A qualitative discussion of the impacts to fauna is
discussed. A qualitative assessment was completed for nuisance fauna, vehicle-
fauna collisions and hunting/collecting as these effects could not be quantified.
Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria are the same as for direct habitat loss (see Table 4.2-2).
