Environmental Assessment
Volume C-4.1
Slurry Pipeline
Flora
Ambatovy Project
77
January 2006
4.1
FLORA
4.1.1
Introduction
This section of the Environmental Assessment (EA) provides an evaluation of
potential effects of the proposed Ambatovy Project (the project) on flora in the
slurry pipeline local study area (LSA). In compliance with the Terms of
Reference (Volume H, Appendix 1), site-specific data were collected to address
the following elements as they relate to flora within the project area:
•
inventory the natural plant communities of concern to assess species
endemicity (including local endemics);
•
map and describe the baseline flora of the study area;
•
discuss the mitigation and compensatory mechanisms to be used to
reduce/offset losses to flora and natural community types including
forest rehabilitation activities;
•
assess residual impacts to flora through pipeline construction, operation
and closure activities; and
•
provide details on flora monitoring and management that include
participation of stakeholders.
4.1.2
Study Area
The slurry pipeline Local Study Area (LSA) includes the approximately 195 km
slurry pipeline footprint, plus a 1 km buffer on either side of the proposed
pipeline route, from the ore body complex at the mine site to the plant site near
Toamasina (Volume A, Figure 7.2-2).
The vegetation along the pipeline route is variable but can generally be classed
into three primary zones. The western zone occurs within a primary and
degraded humid evergreen forest corridor and also passes alongside the
Torotorofotsy Wetlands. The central zone is dominated by tavy matrix and
passes around primary and degraded forest fragments within the Mantadia-
Zahamena Conservation Corridor. The eastern zone contains secondary
vegetation and agricultural areas.
4.1.3
Baseline Summary
The following provides a summary of the baseline flora results in the slurry
pipeline LSA. The summary focuses on those results that are important for
