Environmental Assessment
Volume C-4.2
Slurry Pipeline
Fauna
Ambatovy Project
113
January 2006
as possible, thus limiting fragmentation. As well, roads will be sited to
avoid primary habitats as much as possible.
•
Culverts or bridges will be installed at stream crossings for access and
maintenance roads, providing connectivity for species along the stream.
Mitigation Techniques
•
During pipeline construction, open trenches will be limited to short
sections and duration which will reduce potential for animals to be
trapped in the trench. Animals that fall into trenches will be captured
and released.
Reclamation and Closure
•
Work with regional planners to restore connectivity between Mantadia
National Park and conservation areas to the south. Increasing forest
cover in this area will improve faunal movement in this area over
baseline conditions.
•
Reclamation using native species along the proposed pipeline route in
environmentally sensitive areas, particularly along the Mantadia-
Zahamena Conservation corridor following construction.
Compensation
•
The proponent is to be active in cooperative forest management and
regional resource planning.
Impact Analysis
Fragmentation
Construction of the pipeline and associated infrastructure is expected to alter
small areas of transitional, primary and degraded forest as well as natural
wetlands in the Toamasina study area (Table 4.2-5). However, less than 4% of
these habitats will be impacted due to the project and further route fine tuning
could further reduce these impacts. No losses are anticipated for azonal or marsh
edge habitats. Other degraded habitats that support fewer species will be also
marginally altered. Although habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively
influence populations and communities, the amount of disturbance to the
landscape from the pipeline component of the project is predicted to be
negligible. Small changes in habitat areas should be correlated with little change
in mean patch size, connectivity and edge. Therefore, impacts to faunal
populations due to fragmentation are also predicted to be low.
