Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey Prepared for Rio Tinto March 2013 Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey © Biota Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd 2013 ABN 49 092 687 119 Level 1, 228 Carr Place Leederville Western Australia 6007 Ph: (08) 9328 1900 Fax: (08) 9328 6138 Project No.: 817 Prepared by: David Keirle Zoë Hamilton Penny Brooshooft Document Quality Checking History Version: 1.3 Peer review: Nicola Watson Version: 2.2 Director review: Garth Humphreys Version: 2.2 Format review: Fiona Hedley Approved for issue: Garth Humphreys This document has been prepared to the requirements of the client identified on the cover page and no representation is made to any third party. It may be cited for the purposes of scientific research or other fair use, but it may not be reproduced or distributed to any third party by any physical or electronic means without the express permission of the client for whom it was prepared or Biota Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd. This report has been designed for double-sided printing. Hard copies supplied by Biota are printed on recycled paper. Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx 3 Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey 4 Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey Contents 1.0 Summary 9 1.1 Introduction 9 1.2 Methodology 9 1.3 Results 10 1.4 Conservation Significance 10 2.0 Introduction 13 2.1 Project Background 13 2.2 Study Objectives and Scope 13 2.3 Purpose of this Report 13 3.0 Review of Past Studies and Regional Context 15 3.1 Desktop Review Methodology 15 3.2 Past Fauna Surveys in the Locality 15 3.3 IBRA Bioregions and Subregions 19 3.4 Land Systems (Rangelands) 19 3.5 Geology 22 3.6 Vegetation of the Locality 24 3.7 Conservation Reserves in the Locality 24 4.0 Survey Methodology 25 4.1 Survey Timing and Weather 25 4.2 Fauna Survey Team 26 4.3 Fauna Sampling 26 4.4 Targeted Fauna Sampling 26 4.5 Land Snail Molecular Analysis 34 4.6 Fauna Habitat Assessment 34 4.7 Nomenclature 35 4.8 Study Limitations 35 5.0 Survey Results 37 5.1 Vertebrate Fauna 37 5.2 Potential Short Range Endemic Invertebrates 39 6.0 Conservation Significance 49 6.1 Fauna Habitats 49 6.2 Potential SRE Invertebrates 49 6.3 Conservation Significant Vertebrate Fauna 50 7.0 Summary and Conclusions 55 8.0 Glossary 57 9.0 References 59 Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx 5 Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey Appendix 1 Potential Species List Appendix 2 Regulation 17 “Licence to take fauna for scientific purposes” Appendix 3 Bat Call WA Report Appendix 4 Threatened Fauna Statutory Framework Tables Table 3.1: Previous systematic fauna trapping effort in the vicinity of the Marra Mamba study area. 16 Table 3.2: Conservation significant fauna and SRE fauna recorded previously in the vicinity of the Marra Mamba study area. 18 Table 3.3: Land systems occurring within the Marra Mamba study area. 20 Table 3.4: Geological units occurring within the Marra Mamba study area. 22 Table 4.1: Daily weather observations recorded at Paraburdoo Airport (data provided by Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)). 25 Table 4.2: Elliott trapping site locations and trap effort for the Marra Mamba survey. 26 Table 4.3: Bat sampling locations and effort during the Marra Mamba survey. 29 Table 4.4: Targeted invertebrate search site locations and search effort of the Marra Mamba survey. 31 Table 4.5 Remote camera sampling locations and effort during the Marra Mamba survey. 34 Table 4.6: SRE status terminology used in this report. 35 Table 5.1: Recorded and potential number of species for the Marra Mamba study area. 37 Table 5.2: Herpetofauna recorded during the Marra Mamba survey. 37 Table 5.3: Mammals recorded during the Marra Mamba survey. 38 Table 5.4: Mygalomorph spiders collected during the Marra Mamba survey. 39 Table 5.5: Live terrestrial snails belonging to the genus Rhagada collected during the Marra Mamba survey. 40 Table 5.6: Quistrachia sp. shells collected during the Marra Mamba survey. 48 Table 5.7: Pseudoscorpion specimens collected during the Marra Mamba survey. 48 Figures Figure 2.1: Location map for the Marra Mamba study area. 14 Figure 3.1: Previous fauna surveys in the vicinity of the Marra Mamba study area. 17 Figure 3.2: Land Systems mapping for the Marra Mamba study area. 21 Figure 3.3: Geological units mapped for the Marra Mamba study area. 23 Figure 4.1: Long-term (1974-2012) climatic data for Tom Price (data supplied by BOM). 25 Figure 4.2: Site locations for the Marra Mamba survey. 28 6 Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey Figure 4.3: Collection sites for Rhagada sp. land snails used in molecular assessment of taxonomic status. 33 Figure 5.1: Shell morphology of the three cryptic Rhagada lineages. 40 Figure 5.2: Neighbour-joining tree for Rhagada sp. COI haplotypes used in molecular assessment of taxonomic status (includes comparison specimens collected from outside the Marra Mamba study area). 41 Figure 5.3: Distribution of Rhagada sp. COI mtDNA lineage data. 42 Figure 5.4: Enlargement of sampling sites where Rhagada sp. mtDNA lineages come into contact with respect to the Marra Mamba study area. 43 Figure 5.5: STRUCTURE plot showing two clusters of the 368 individuals. 44 Figure 5.6: Distribution of two Rhagada ‘small banded’ nuclear DNA groups in relation to the Marra Mamba study area. 45 Figure 5.7: STRUCTURE plot showing 4 clusters for 216 individuals. 46 Figure 5.8: Distribution of four Rhagada ‘small banded’ nuclear groups for the ‘Tom Price’ and ‘Beasley’ mtDNA clades. 47 Plates Plate 4.1: Site MME01. 27 Plate 4.2: Site MME02. 27 Plate 4.3: Site MME03. 27 Plate 4.4: Site MME04. 27 Plate 4.5: Site MME05. 27 Plate 4.6: Site MME06. 27 Plate 4.7: Site MMBAT01. 29 Plate 4.8: Site MMBAT02. 29 Plate 4.9: Site MMBAT03. 30 Plate 4.10: Site MMHarp01. 30 Plate 4.11: Site MMBat04. 30 Plate 4.12: Site MMBAT05. 30 Plate 4.13: Site MMBAT06. 30 Plate 5.1: Aname sp. N19 (Specimen M20120901MMSRE03-01). 39 Plate 5.2: Aname sp. N126 (Specimen M20120901MMSRE03-02). 39 Plate 5.3: Austrohorus sp. (Specimen PS20120831MMSN17-01). 48 Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx 7 Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey This page intentionally blank. 8 Cube:Current:817 (Marra Mamba Fauna):Documents:BS4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey v2.2.docx Brockman Syncline 4 Marra Mamba Targeted Fauna Survey 1.0 Summary 1.1 Introduction Biota Environmental Sciences (Biota) was commissioned by Rio Tinto to undertake a targeted fauna survey of a Marra Mamba deposit, located south of the Brockman Syncline 4 operation, approximately 60 km west of Tom Price in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The objectives of the targeted fauna survey were to: • determine the suitability of the habitats present for conservation significant fauna species; • conduct targeted trapping and searches for key conservation significant fauna species: specifically the Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), Orange Leaf-nosed Bat (Rhinonicteris aurantius), Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas) and Pilbara Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus barroni); • conduct targeted searches for potential Short-Range Endemic (SRE) invertebrates; and • identify and assess the local and regional conservation significance of species recorded during the study. The survey was planned and implemented in accordance with the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) Guidance Statement 20, “Sampling Short Range Endemic Invertebrate Fauna for Environmental Impact Assessment in Western Australia” (EPA 2009), Position Statement No. 3 “Terrestrial Biological Surveys as an Element of Biodiversity Protection” (EPA 2002), “Technical Guide - Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna Surveys for Environmental Impact Assessment” (EPA and DEC 2010) and Guidance Statement No. 56 “Terrestrial Fauna Surveys for Environmental Impact Assessment in Western Australia” (EPA 2004). 1.2 Methodology A desktop review of relevant literature, including previous surveys conducted in the vicinity of the study area, was undertaken to aid in planning the targeted fauna survey. This review also provided information on the landforms, vegetation, conservation reserves, and fauna of conservation significance potentially occurring within the study area and general locality. The targeted field survey was conducted over an eight-day period from 28 August to 4 September 2012. Systematic sampling using Elliott traps was conducted at six sites located in specific targeted habitats most likely to support the Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) if present. Bat sampling was undertaken at six different sites using echolocation call recorders and harp traps. The sites were selected, primarily, on their suitability as potential roost sites or feeding sites for Orange Leaf-nosed Bat (Rhinonicteris aurantius) and the Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas). Invertebrate groups targeted during the survey were primarily those considered to potentially support SRE taxa, and included: • Mygalomorphae (trapdoor spiders); • Diplopoda (millipedes); • Pulmonata (land snails); and • Pseudoscorpiones (pseudoscorpions). Thirty SRE search sites were selected to provide representative sampling within the range of land systems and habitats present. Searches were additionally targeted toward specific microhabitats and locations where SRE species most frequently occur (e.g.