Subterranean capability statement

Phoenix offers complete subterranean survey solutions that are well-planned and employ cutting edge, best practice field and laboratory methods that follow rigorous HSE standards. We deliver high quality reports and practical, scientifically-sound advice to manage subterranean fauna issues. About SubtErrAnEAn fAunA that they are incapable of dispersal and can be classified as extreme short- Subterranean fauna are (usually range endemics (SREs). Their usual small ) that live beneath the distributions also make these species surface of the ground. They are usually vulnerable to modification of their habitat, Jarrad Clark classified into air breathing species through mining and water abstraction for () and aquatic species Director, Manager example. Terrestrial Fauna (). The EPA’s objective for subterranean Troglofauna inhabit cavernous networks fauna are to ensure that important within rock and alluvial sediments, and habitats are adequately protected and no stygofauna are usually associated with species is threatened with extinction. In and the hyporheic zones (water environmental impact assessment (EIA), logged sediments) of rivers and lakes. proponents must demonstrate that they Some subterranean species (troglobites will meet these objectives according to and stygobites) are so specialised to life EPA’s Guidance Statement 54, ‘Consideration underground that they cannot survive of Subterranean Fauna in anywhere else. They typically have no and during Environmental Impact pigmentation, reduced or absent eyes Assessment in Western Australia ‘. and wings, elongated bodies and In Western Australia, the and appendages, no circadian rhythms Yilgarn regions (including the WA (regular day / night behaviours like Goldfields) have become known for their sleeping) and greater sensory rich diversity of subterranean fauna. dependence on vibration. Limestone systems in southern WA also Troglobites and stygobites are usually support significant subterranean fauna. specialised to their habitat to the point Industry issues Sampling subterranean fauna habitats is challenging because there is limited access to the target fauna. Confusion arises from the fact that the extent of troglofauna habitats is never clear from the outset, each bore may or may not intersect suitable habitat, and there are Phoenix frequent instances where bores intersect maintaining EPA expectations and best more than one potential habitat. These practice standards. By supplementing Environmental factors can hamper interpretations of both standard methods with more recent and Sciences offers a troglofauna and stygofauna distributions. effective techniques, we are able to gain more data, increase survey success and Subterranean fauna surveys often require meet stringent requirements of the EIA broad range of long lead times, for example, to allow process. complementary bores to adequately colonise after drilling, or to collect supplementary information We reduce the chances of wrongly biological and to support impact assessments, e.g. classifying ‘widespread’ species as environmental geological or hydrogeological data. Early ‘restricted’ species by using robust survey planning and implementation is statistics and confirmation of in-house management critical to avoid impeding broader project identifications with genomic analyses, services. Our timelines. including barcoding methods. team strikes the Some troglofauna communities are Out team delivers high quality, cost- quite rarefied, requiring specific effective subterranean surveys through: survey techniques. Surveys that right balance -- transparent science – complete use standard methods can result in datasets presented in technical of scientific incomplete datasets and inaccurate reports, supplemented by spatial determinations of ‘impact area’ species. credibility, data Also, subterranean fauna often appear practical extremely similar to one another and -- industry-leading parataxonomy, application and have lost key features that would enabling identification of normally enable definitive identification. nearly all types of subterranean business sense. They are frequently represented by invertebrates groups for which there is no established -- efficient and accurate data local taxonomic knowledge, which management systems frustrates standard identification efforts. -- expert knowledge of subterranean Our solution habitats across Australia Phoenix undertakes detailed site-specific -- extensive experience in project- survey scoping and planning for each specific and targeted survey subterranean fauna survey. Our survey design strategies identify and target the most suitable bores for subterranean fauna, -- opportunity to revise project then build a complete picture of the conditions, status and limitations subterranean ecosystem with detailed from a more strategic point of view records of bore characteristics to define Services the habitats being sampled. -- Subterranean fauna survey We can meet tight timelines by tailoring scoping and design survey methods to reduce the time -- Risk assessments and baseline required to complete surveys, while surveys for EIA -- Compliance monitoring for subterranean fauna and habitats -- Development of management plans and survey strategies -- Strategic advice -- Review of subterranean proposals contAct Jarrad Clark T: 08 6323 5412 1/511 Wanneroo Road, Balcatta WA 6021 [email protected] T: (08) 9345 1608 E: [email protected] www.phoenixenv.com.au ABN: 60 131 288 938 Mitochondrial genome www.phoenixenv.com.au