GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE, THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS ATTACHMENT 1 Tasi Mane - Suai Supply Base EIA Terrestrial Flora and Fauna Technical Report DRAFT 301012-01504-EN-REP-0001 23 March 2012 Level 7, QV1 Building 250 St Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000 Australia Tel: +61 8 9278 8111 Fax: +61 8 9278 8110 www.worleyparsons.com WorleyParsons Services Pty Ltd ABN 61 001 279 812 © Copyright 2012 WorleyParsons Services Pty Ltd GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE (GTL), THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS (SERN) TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA TECHNICAL REPORT Disclaimer This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and is subject to and issued in accordance with the agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and WorleyParsons Services Pty Ltd. WorleyParsons Services Pty Ltd accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for it in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. Copying this report without the permission of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste or WorleyParsons Services Pty Ltd is not permitted. PROJECT 301012-01504 - TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA REV DESCRIPTION ORIG REVIEW WORLEY- DATE CLIENT DATE PARSONS APPROVAL APPROVAL A Issued for internal review 23 Mar 12 N/A M Love S Hudson A Faulkner 0 Issued for client review 23 Mar 12 Page ii GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE (GTL), THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS (SERN) TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA TECHNICAL REPORT CONTENTS CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................... III APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................. IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Location .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Project Brief/Scope ............................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Regulatory Context ............................................................................................................. 6 2. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................... 8 2.1 Climate ................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2 Biogeography ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Flora and Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Fauna ................................................................................................................................ 11 3. METHOD .......................................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Survey Areas .................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Timing of Surveys ............................................................................................................. 13 3.3 Flora and Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 13 3.4 Fauna ................................................................................................................................ 15 3.5 Limitations ......................................................................................................................... 17 4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Flora and Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Fauna ................................................................................................................................ 33 5. DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................... 43 5.1 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 43 6. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 47 Page iii 301012-01504 : Rev A :13-Mar-12 GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE (GTL), THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS (SERN) TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA TECHNICAL REPORT Appendices APPENDIX 1 – IUCN RED LIST APPENDIX 2 – IUCN LISTED FLORA APPENDIX 3 – FLORA SPECIES LIST APPENDIX 4 – FAUNA HABITAT ASSESSMENTS APPENDIX 5 – TIMOR-LESTE VERTEBRATE FAUNA LIST APPENDIX 6 – BAT CALLS IDENTIFICATION FOR TIMOR-LESTE APPENDIX 7 – CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANT FAUNA SPECIES RISK ASSESSMENT Page iv 301012-01504 : Rev A :13-Mar-12 GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE (GTL), THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS (SERN) TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA TECHNICAL REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In December 2011, WorleyParsons was commissioned by the Secretaria de Estado dos Recursos Naturais, on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste, to undertake a flora and vertebrate fauna assessment for the Tasi Mane Project, specifically the Suai supply base. This was part of a wider commission to prepare an environmental impact assessment to describe the likely environmental and social impacts associated with the proposed development. The Suai supply base will be located on the south coast on the island nation of Timor-Leste. Timor- Leste is part of the Lesser Sunda Archipelago, an assemblage of islands comprised of a northern, volcanogenic arc (the Inner Banda Arc, with main islands Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, and Wetar) and a southern, orogenic arc (the Outer Banda Arc, with main islands Sumba, Roti, and Timor). The site is approximately 90 km south west of the capital city of Dili. The flora assessment and the vertebrate fauna assessment for the project occurred from 9 to 13 December 2011 and from 6 to 8 February 2012. The objectives of the flora assessment were to: Validate the accuracy of desktop reviews; Describe broad vegetation units and agricultural areas; Identify remnant areas of primary and secondary forest, coastal forest and mangroves; Identify species of potential conservation significance (International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List); Identify species of economic importance (teak, rosewood, sandalwood, food crops); and Determine any significant impacts to species or vegetation communities of conservation significance. The objectives of the vertebrate fauna assessment were to: Validate the accuracy of desktop reviews; Ground-truth the extent and condition of fauna habitat types present; Identify species of potential conservation significance (IUCN Red List); Further delineate and characterise the species and fauna habitat types present and potentially present at each site; Provide additional information for any subsequent clearing requirements; and Determine any significant impacts to species of conservation significance. Page 1 301012-01504 : Rev A GOVERNMENT OF TIMOR-LESTE (GTL), THROUGH THE SECRETARIA DE ESTADO DOS RECURSOS NATURAIS (SERN) TASI MANE - SUAI SUPPLY BASE EIA TERRESTRIAL FLORA AND FAUNA TECHNICAL REPORT The Tasi Mane Project - Suai Supply Base investigation is discussed further in this report. The geographical area covered by this project is termed the Suai development area, and it comprises five components: the Suai supply base, industrial estate, Nova Suai, Suai Airport upgrade, and two crocodile reserves (We Dare and We Matan Bua Oan). Flora and vegetation results for the Suai development area are preliminary at this stage and limited to specimens identified from the first survey conducted in December 2011. Dominant and common species were the main focus of the flora and vegetation survey due to time constraints. Most flora recorded in the Suai development area have a widespread distribution in the tropics. Three of these species are listed on the IUCN’s Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) of the 100 worst invasive species, Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata), cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) and coffee bush (Leucaena leucocephala). Thirty-six plant species are listed as being of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List for Timor-Leste, and none of these were recorded during the field survey. No further flora species were listed by the IUCN Red List specifically for Timor-Leste; however, sandalwood (Santalum album) and rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus), both ‘Vulnerable’ species listed for south-east Asia, were recorded in the Suai development area. Several species of economic or local importance, primarily timber or food crops, were recorded in the Suai development area. Two of these species, rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus) and sandalwood (Santalum album) are also of conservation concern. Small plantations