Table of Content 5.0. Description of The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TABLE OF CONTENT 5.0. DESCRIPTION OF THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT........................................... 51 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 51 5.1.1 Scope and Objectives............................................................................ 51 5.1.2 Methodologies and Information Resources ........................................... 52 5.2 Characterization of the Flora and Vegetation Cover ......................................... 52 5.2.1 Outline of the Flora in the Panama Canal Watershed ............................ 53 5.2.2 Classification of the Vegetation of the General Study Area (GSA), Specific Study Area (SSA), and Direct Impact Area (DIA)................... 56 5.2.2.1 Forests ..................................................................................... 56 5.2.2.2 Shrubland................................................................................. 58 5.2.2.3 Grassland ................................................................................. 59 5.2.3 Vegetation Cover and Characterization of the Flora in the Specific Study Area (SSA) and Direct Impact Area (DIA) by Zone................... 59 5.2.3.1 Atlantic Coast (Zone 1)............................................................ 59 5.2.3.2 Gatun Locks (Zone 2) .............................................................511 5.2.3.3 Gatun Lake (Zone 3)...............................................................513 5.2.3.4 Culebra Cut (Zone 4) ............................................................515 5.2.3.5 Pacific Locks (Zone 5) ...........................................................518 5.2.3.6 Pacific Coast (Zone 6).............................................................520 5.2.4 Threatened, Endemic, or Endangered Species......................................522 5.2.4.1 Atlantic Coast (Zone 1)...........................................................524 5.2.4.2 Gatun Locks (Zone 2) .............................................................527 5.2.4.3 Gatun Lake (Zone 3)...............................................................530 5.2.4.4 Culebra Cut (Zone 4) ..............................................................532 5.2.4.5 Pacific Locks (Zone 5) ............................................................533 5.2.4.6 Pacific Coast (Zone 6).............................................................535 5.2.5 Indicator Species .................................................................................537 5.2.5.1 Atlantic Coast (Zone 1)...........................................................540 5.2.5.2 Gatun Locks (Zone 2) .............................................................540 Category III Environmental Impact Study URS Holdings, Inc. Panama Canal Expansion Project – i July 2007 Third Set of Locks 5.2.5.3 Gatun Lake (Zone 3)...............................................................540 5.2.5.4 Culebra Cut (Zone 4) ..............................................................541 5.2.5.5 Pacific Locks (Zone 5) ............................................................541 5.2.5.6 Pacific Coast (Zone 6).............................................................541 5.3 Forest Inventory..............................................................................................542 5.3.1 Forest Plantations in the Environmental Study Area (ESA)..................542 5.3.2 Direct Impact Area (DIA)....................................................................542 5.3.3 Methodology and Data Processing.......................................................542 5.3.4 Results ................................................................................................543 5.3 Inventory of Exotic, Endemic or Endangered Species.. ......................................................................................544 5.5 Characterization of the Fauna..........................................................................545 5.5.1 General Diversity of the Fauna in the Study Area ................................545 5.5.1.1 Species Richness ....................................................................545 5.5.1.2 Mammals ...............................................................................547 5.5.1.3 Birds .......................................................................................549 5.5.1.4 Reptiles ..................................................................................553 5.5.1.5 Amphibians.............................................................................554 5.5.1.6 Terrestrial Invertebrates ..........................................................555 5.5.1.7 Diversity of Terrestrial Vertebrates by Type of Habitat ...........556 5.5.2 Aquatic Fauna .....................................................................................557 5.5.3 Characterization of Fauna by Zone ......................................................560 5.5.3.1 Atlantic Coast (Zone 1)...........................................................560 5.5.3.2 Gatun Locks (Zone 2) .............................................................564 5.5.3.3 Gatun Lake (Zone 3)...............................................................569 5.5.3.4 Culebra Cut (Zone 4) ..............................................................571 5.5.3.5 Pacific Locks (Zone 5) ............................................................573 5.5.3.6 Pacific Coast (Zone 6).............................................................579 5.5.4 Indicator Species ................................................................................581 5.5.4.1 Definition and Characteristics of Indicator Species..................581 5.5.4.2 Terrestrial Fauna .....................................................................584 Category III Environmental Impact Study URS Holdings, Inc. Panama Canal Expansion Project – ii July 2007 Third Set of Locks 5.5.4.3 Aquatic Fauna.........................................................................587 5.5.5 Threatened, Vulnerable, Endemic or Endangered Species ...............................590 5.5.5.1 Definitions and Lists Consulted...............................................590 5.5.5.2 Endemic Species.....................................................................591 5.5.5.3 Threatened or Endangered Fauna .............................................592 5.6 Fragile Ecosystems and Representativity of the Ecosystems............................597 5.6.1 Fragile Ecosystems..............................................................................597 5.6.2 Representativity of the Ecosystems......................................................599 5.6.2.1 Atlantic Coast (Zone 1).........................................................5100 5.6.2.2 Gatun Locks (Zone 2) ...........................................................5101 5.6.2.3 Gatun Lake (Zone 3).............................................................5102 5.6.2.4 Culebra Cut (Zone 4) ............................................................5102 5.6.2.5 Pacific Locks (Zone 5) ..........................................................5103 5.6.2.6 Pacific Coast (Zone 6)...........................................................5104 5.7 Protected Areas and Connectivity..................................................................5105 Category III Environmental Impact Study URS Holdings, Inc. Panama Canal Expansion Project – iii July 2007 Third Set of Locks INDEX OF TABLES Table 51 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in the Specific Study Area (SSA) Table 52 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in the Direct Impact Area (DIA) Table 53 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in the Atlantic Coast (Zone 1) Table 54 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 1 Table 55 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in Gatun Locks (Zone 2) Table 56 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 2 Table 57 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in Zone 3 Table 58 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 3 Table 59 Acreage (ha) be Category of Vegetation Cover in Culebra Cut (Zone 4) Table 510 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 4 Table 511 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in the Pacific Locks (Zona 5) Table 512 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 5 Table 513 Acreage (ha) by Category of Vegetation Cover in Zone 6 Table 514 Number of Flora Species and Families by Group within Zone 6 Table 515 Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species by Specific Study Area (SSA) Zone and Institution Table 516 Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Specific Study Area (SSA) in the Atlantic Coast (Zone 1) Table 517a Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Specific Study Area (SSA) in Gatun Locks (Zone 2) Table 517b Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Direct Impact Area (DIA) in Gatun Locks (Zone 2) Table 518 Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Specific Study Area (SSA) in Gatun Lake (Zone 3) Table 519 Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Specific Study Area (SSA) in Culebra Cut (Zone 4) Table 520a Endemic, Threatened, and Protected Species in the Specific Study Area (SSA) in the Pacific Locks Category III Environmental Impact Study URS Holdings, Inc. Panama Canal Expansion Project – iv July 2007 Third Set of Locks Table 520b Endemic, Threatened,