AUGUST 2013 SHEFFIELD RESOURCES LTD THUNDERBIRD MINERAL SANDS PROJECT FLORA AND FAUNA SURVEY SCOPING STUDY REPORT This page has been left blank intentionally. Sheffield Resources Ltd Thunderbird Flora and Fauna Scoping Study SHEFFIELD RESOURCES LTD. THUNDERBIRD MINERAL SAND PROJECT FLORA AND FAUNA SURVEY SCOPING STUDY REPORT August 2013 i Sheffield Resources Ltd Thunderbird Flora and Fauna Scoping Study Document Status Approved for Issue Rev Author Reviewer Date Name Distributed To Date C Parker A R Young 29/07/2013 J Forbes‐Harper C Parker B R Young 29/07/2013 K Bauer‐Simpson M Teakle 31/07/2013 J Forbes‐Harper C Parker C R Young 16/08/2013 K Bauer‐Simpson M Teakle 16/08/2013 N Jackett D R Omodei M Macdonald 28/08/2013 K Bauer‐Simpson M Teakle 28/08/2013 ecologia Environment (2013). Reproduction of this report in whole or in part by electronic, mechanical or chemical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, in any language, is strictly prohibited without the express approval of Sheffield Resources Limited and ecologia Environment. Restrictions on Use This report has been prepared specifically for Sheffield Resources Limited. Neither the report nor its contents may be referred to or quoted in any statement, study, report, application, prospectus, loan, or other agreement document, without the express approval of Sheffield Resources Limited and ecologia Environment. ecologia Environment 1025 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 Phone: 08 9322 1944 Fax: 08 9322 1599 Email: [email protected] August 2013 ii Sheffield Resources Ltd Thunderbird Flora and Fauna Scoping Study TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 SURVEY EFFORT ........................................................................................................................ 1 2 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.1 FLORA ........................................................................................................................................ 5 2.1.1 Species richness ......................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Sampling adequacy .................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3 Threatened and priority flora recorded within the Thunderbird study area ............ 6 2.1.4 Introduced flora .......................................................................................................11 2.1.5 Flora representing range extensions .......................................................................16 2.1.6 Species of Interest ...................................................................................................17 2.2 VEGETATION ...........................................................................................................................18 2.2.1 Priority Ecological Communities (PECs) ...................................................................18 2.3 FAUNA .....................................................................................................................................20 2.3.1 Conservation significant fauna recorded within the Thunderbird study area ........20 2.3.2 Fauna representing range extensions .....................................................................23 2.3.3 Other conservation significant fauna ......................................................................23 2.3.4 Species recorded .....................................................................................................24 3 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................... 29 3.1 FLORA ......................................................................................................................................29 3.1.1 Regional distribution of conservation significant flora ...........................................29 3.1.2 Comparison with nearby surveys ............................................................................29 3.2 VEGETATION ...........................................................................................................................30 3.2.1 TEC and PEC .............................................................................................................30 3.3 FAUNA .....................................................................................................................................30 3.3.1 Regional distribution of conservation significant fauna ..........................................30 3.3.2 Impact on conservation significant fauna ...............................................................31 3.3.3 Comparison with nearby surveys ............................................................................31 3.3.4 Habitat potentially supporting conservation significant fauna ...............................31 3.4 ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL RESULTS AGAINST PROJECT PATHWAY ..................................33 4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 37 4.1 FLORA AND VEGETATION ........................................................................................................37 4.2 VERTEBRATE FAUNA ...............................................................................................................37 4.3 INVERTEBRATE FAUNA ............................................................................................................37 August 2013 iii Sheffield Resources Ltd Thunderbird Flora and Fauna Scoping Study 5 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 39 August 2013 iv Sheffield Resources Ltd Thunderbird Flora and Fauna Scoping Study TABLES Table 2.1 – Diversity of the flora of the study area .................................................................................. 5 Table 2.2 – Most represented families and genera in the study area ..................................................... 5 Table 2.3 – Priority Flora recorded within the Thunderbird study area .................................................. 7 Table 2.4 – Introduced species recorded in the study area ...................................................................11 Table 2.5 – Environmental status of introduced species recorded in the study area ...........................12 Table 2.6 – Introduced flora recorded in the study area .......................................................................13 Table 2.7 – Taxa with range extensions greater than 100 km ...............................................................16 Table 2.8 – Conservation significant fauna recorded during the survey ...............................................20 Table 2.9 – Potential SRE fauna relevant to the Thunderbird study area ..............................................21 Table 2.10 – SRE specimens recorded during the survey.......................................................................21 Table 2.11 – Vertebrate species recorded during the survey ................................................................24 Table 3.1 – Distribution of Priority Flora recorded in the study area within Western Australia ...........29 Table 3.2 – Priority Flora present within nearby surveys .......................................................................30 Table 3.1 – Assessment of biological results against project feasibility ................................................34 FIGURES Figure 1.1 – Location of the study area .................................................................................................... 2 Figure 1.2 – Quadrat, fauna site and SRE locations within the study area .............................................. 3 Figure 2.1 – Average randomised species accumulation curve for the study area ................................. 6 Figure 2.2 – Priority flora of the study area ...........................................................................................10 Figure 2.3 – Introduced species locations in the study area ..................................................................15 Figure 2.4 – Cyperus sp. (AIC 1501‐0149) ...............................................................................................17 Figure 2.5 – Identified and potential PECs of the study area .................................................................19 Figure 2.6 – Conservation significant fauna recorded during the survey ..............................................22 APPENDICES Appendix A Flora Quadrat Locations .....................................................................................................41 Appendix B Flora Species List Recorded in the Project Area .................................................................45 Appendix C Locations of Priority Flora Recorded in the study area .....................................................53 Appendix D Conservation Codes for Threatened and Priority Flora and Fauna Species and Ecological Communities ......................................................................................................................57