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Assessment and Impact Analysis of Terrestrial Biodiversity at the LNG Facilities Site, Central Province, Papua New Guinea

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Assessment and Impact Analysis of Terrestrial Biodiversity at the LNG Facilities Site, Central Province, Papua New Guinea Assessment and Impact Analysis of Terrestrial Biodiversity at the LNG Facilities Site, Central Province, Papua New Guinea Dr Iain A. Woxvold Final Report to Coffey Natural Systems October 28, 2008 CONTRIBUTORS Dr Iain Woxvold – Field co-ordinator, ornithologist Stephen Richards – Herpetologist Ted Mamu – Mammalogist Dr Greg Richards – Bats Francis Crome – Project co-ordinator, ecologist CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VII 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Project Overview 3 1.2 Developments and Components 3 1.2.1 Upstream Development Components 3 1.2.2 LNG Facilities Development Components 5 1.2.3 Supporting Facilities and Infrastructure 5 1.3 Assessment and Impacts on Biodiversity at Caution Bay 6 2. SITE DESCRIPTION 7 2.1 Location and Area Definitions 7 2.2 Land Systems Classification 7 2.3 Habitat 7 3. CHARACTERISATION METHODS 15 3.1 Survey Timing and Personnel 15 3.2 Vegetation 15 3.3 Fauna 15 3.3.1 Field Observations 15 3.3.2 Village Interviews 18 3.3.3 Desktop Assessments 18 3.4 Taxonomy and Identification 19 3.5 Conservation Status 19 3.6 Limitations of the Present Study 20 4. TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY AT THE LNG FACILITY SITE 21 4.1 Vegetation 21 4.2 Fauna 22 4.2.1 Non-volant Mammals 22 4.2.2 Bats 23 4.2.3 Birds 24 4.2.4 Herpetofauna 27 5. BASELINE SURVEY CONCLUSIONS 29 6. LNG PLANT AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE 33 6.1 LNG Plant Utilities and Offsites 33 6.2 Marine Facilities 33 6.3 Fencing and Roads 33 7. ASSESSING IMPACTS 35 7.1 The Value or Sensitivity of the Receptor 35 7.2 Magnitude of Impact 35 7.2.1 Magnitude Criteria 35 7.2.2 Local Contextual Region (LCR) 36 LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report i 7.3 Impact Significance 36 8. RECEPTOR SENSITIVITY/VALUE 41 8.1 IUCN-listed and Nationally Protected Species 41 8.2 Focal Habitats 41 8.2.1 Sub-coastal Wetlands/Flats 42 8.2.2 Mangroves 47 8.2.3 Savanna 49 8.2.4 Grassland and Open Woodland 50 8.2.5 Gallery Forest 52 8.3 Focal Area – Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex 52 9. IMPACT MAGNITUDE 55 9.1 Direct Impacts 56 9.1.1 Habitat Losses 56 9.1.2 Edge Effects 63 9.1.3 Barrier Effects and Fragmentation 64 9.1.4 Physical Damage and Disturbance to Caves 64 9.1.5 Erosion, Movement of Soil and Spoil 64 9.1.6 Changes to Wetland and Mangrove Hydrology 65 9.1.7 Materials Handling, Disposal and Pollution 65 9.1.8 Dust 66 9.1.9 Noise, Lights and Other Disturbance to Fauna 66 9.1.10 Project Traffic and Other Operations 66 9.1.11 Loss of Breeding and Display Grounds 66 9.2 Indirect Impacts 67 9.2.1 Fire 67 9.2.2 Dieback 68 9.2.3 Invasive Species – Weeds and Plant Pathogens 68 9.2.4 Invasive Species – Fauna 69 9.2.5 Hunting 69 9.2.6 Collection of Flora 70 9.2.7 Seismic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Hazards 70 10. RECOMMENDATIONS 71 10.1 Habitat Loss 71 10.1.1 LNG Facilities Site 71 10.1.2 Clearance for Linear Infrastructure 71 10.1.3 Temporary Construction Areas 72 10.2 Barrier Effects 72 10.3 Erosion, Movement of Soil and Spoil 73 10.4 Changes to Wetland and Mangrove Hydrology 73 10.5 Materials Handling, Disposal and Pollution 73 10.6 Dust 74 10.7 Noise, Lights and Other Disturbance to Fauna 74 10.8 Project Traffic and Other Operations 74 10.9 Fire 74 10.10 Dieback, Weeds and Plant Pathogens 74 LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report ii 10.11 Invasive Fauna 75 10.12 Hunting and Collection of Flora 75 11. SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS ON HABITATS AND SPECIAL AREAS 77 11.1 Sub-coastal Wetlands/Flats 77 11.2 Mangroves 77 11.3 Savanna 79 11.4 Grassland 79 11.5 Open Woodland 79 11.6 Gallery Forest 79 11.7 Special Area – The Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex 80 12. SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS ON LISTED SPECIES 81 12.1 Plants 81 12.2 Mammals 88 12.3 Birds 90 12.4 Reptiles and Amphibians 91 13. REFERENCES 93 Figures 1 Project overview: new and existing 4 2 Topographic map of the Port Moresby area showing location of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area and the local contextual region 8 3 Permanent and temporary components of the LNG Facility and associated infrastructure 9 4 Forest Inventory Mapping System (FIMS) vegetation types present at the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area and throughout the local region (LCR) 10 5 Vegetation types present at the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area, as defined following the April 2008 terrestrial biodiversity surveys, the LNG Facilities site and associated linear developments 12 6 Transects surveyed during the April 2008 terrestrial biodiversity surveys 17 7 Species discovery curve for the 2008 bird survey of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area. Data include detection of species during active formal surveys (transects). Data from opportunistic observations excluded. 25 8 The number of breeding resident birds (BR), migrants (M), and resident species with seasonal migrant populations (BR+M) recorded in different habitats (Sv – Savanna; OW – Open Woodland; GF – Gallery Forest; Mv – Mangrove; G – Grassland; WS – Wetlands and Saltpans; OC – Oceans and Coastal Marine). 26 9 Habitats within the Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex (VREC) and location of the LNG Plant and associated linear infrastructure 53 Tables 1 Survey effort, coordinates and habitat encountered on each transect 16 2 Conservation classifications used in the PNG Fauna (Protection and Control) Act 1966, 1978 (‘Fauna Act’) and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 19 LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report iii 3 Criteria used to assess the value and/or sensitivity of conservation assets present at the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area 37 4 Impact categories used in assessment 38 5 Impact significance matrix 39 6 Areas (ha) of habitats present at the Terrestrial Biodiversity Study Area (TBSA), Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex and Local Contextual Region (LCR), and the proportion (%) of each habitat’s range within the Local Region present at the Study Area (TBSA/LCR) 41 7 For each of six habitat classes identified at the Study Area, (a) the number of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians recorded or possibly occurring on site, and (b) the number of IUCN-listed (Threatened and Near Threatened − NT) and nationally listed species (Protected – P; Restricted – R) recorded or possibly occurring on site. For each habitat, the total proportion of all species recorded or possibly occurring on site is also shown (% total) 43 8 Direct and indirect impacts potentially imparted on biodiversity values during construction and/or operation phases of the LNG Facilities and associated infrastructure 55 9 Total areal losses, and losses per habitat, through clearing for various components of the construction and operation of the LNG Plant. The percentage of each habitat lost in relation to its distribution throughout the Study Area (SA) and Local Contextual Region (LCR) is also shown 59 10 Total and proportional areal losses, and losses per habitat, incurred within the VREC through clearing for development within the LNG Facilities site. The proportion (%) of the total area and the area of each habitat that will be lost is also shown 60 11 Impact analysis for habitats and the Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex (VREC) special area 78 12 Impact analysis for conservation listed terrestrial flora and fauna. The value of individual taxa follows the system outlined in Table 3: 1 – Very High Value; 2 – High Value; 3 – Moderate Value; 4 – Low Value. The magnitude of direct and indirect impacts follows the system outlined in Table 4: VH – Very High; H – High; M – Medium; L – Low 82 Plates (see back of report) 1 Mangroves and sub-coastal wetlands/mud flats around the Vaihua River (Vaihua River Ecosystem Complex – VREC). The area of grassland behind the wetlands is the site proposed for development of the LNG Plant. (Photo by F. Crome) 2 Mangrove forest along the Vaihua River 3 Coastal mangroves at the northern end of the Study Area 4 Mangrove scrub on the eastern (inland) boundary of the VREC 5 Mangroves and sub-coastal wetlands/mud flats, facing west towards the coast. 6 Sub-coastal wetlands at the northern end of the Study Area 7 Freshwater wetlands at the eastern boundary of the VREC 8 Freshwater wetlands at the eastern boundary of the VREC 9 Sub-coastal wetlands/flats at the northern end of the Study Area (dry season) (Photo by F. Crome) 10 Grassland with streamside open woodland formations along Lea Lea Road. (Photo by F. Crome) 11 Grassland at the LNG Plant site. (Photo F. Crome) 12 Post-fire grassland regeneration. (Photo by F. Crome) 13 Grassland and open woodland extending east from Lea Lear Road LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report iv 14 Pandanus open woodland 15 Open woodland with introduced Rain Trees (Samanea saman) 16 Open woodland on the edge of savanna 17 Savanna on hills near Boera 18 Savanna with cycad near the Vaihua River 19 Savanna on alluvial flats near the Vaihua River 20 Gallery forest on the Vaihua River Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report v ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AGRU Acid gas removal unit CEP Construction Execution Plan CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CAN Conservation Needs Assessment CR Critically Endangered (IUCN) DD Data Deficient (IUCN) EAAF East Asian-Australasian Flyway EHL Esso Highlands Limited EMP Environmental Management Plan EN Endangered (IUCN) EPDB Early Project Development Basis Fauna Act PNG Fauna (Protection & Control) Act 1966, 1978 FIMS Forest Inventory Mapping System G Grasslands GF Gallery Forest ha Hectares IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources KICDP Kikori Integrated Conservation and Development Project LCR Local Contextual Region LNG Liquefied Natural Gas MOF Materials Offloading Facility Mv Mangroves NT Near Threatened (IUCN) OC Oceans and Coastal marine habitats OW Open Woodland P Protected under the PNG Fauna Act PNG Papua New Guinea Project R Species restricted for trade under the PNG Fauna Act because of International market demand and traditional utilisation within PNG ROW Right-of-Way Sv Savanna UXO Unexploded ordinance VREC Vahiua River Ecosystem Complex VU Vulnerable (IUCN) W Wetlands, mud-flats and salt-pans WWF World Wide Fund for Nature LNG Facility Terrestrial Biodiversity Report vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.
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