Environmental Assessment
Volume E-4.1
Tailings Facility
Flora
Ambatovy Project
154
January 2006
•
multi-species agro-forestry systems and home gardens;
•
self-regenerating tree plantation and woodlots;
•
second-degree regeneration of slash and burn (savoka);
•
first-degree regeneration of slash and burn (old tavy);
•
active slash and burn field (tavy);
•
rangeland with differential degrees of residual plant cover;
•
fire-degraded, overgrazed rangeland;
•
wetlands; and
•
rice paddies.
Due to the disturbed nature of the study area, many species within the LSA are
invasive and common within the region. These invasive species have had an
impact on the make-up of native plant communities that once existed here.
4.1.3.2 Vulnerable, Threatened and Endangered Species
One International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) species
(
Dalbergia baroni)
was identified within the tailings facility LSA. It is listed as
vulnerable but is a widespread species in Madagascar exploited for its valuable
wood.
4.1.3.3 Species Endemism
Of the 169 species identified during the flora survey of the proposed tailings
facility, 112 are currently classified as endemic to Madagascar and 53 as
regionally endemic. No species were listed as local endemics.
4.1.4
Issue Scoping
The following issues related to project impacts on flora were based on the
outcome of the public consultation sessions, a review of previous environmental
assessments for resource developments in Madagascar and elsewhere, and the
Terms of Reference (Volume A, Section 6; Volume H, Appendix 1). The main
issues of concern relating to flora within the tailings facility LSA are:
•
loss or alteration of plant communities;
•
impact to wetlands or wetlands function; and
