ISUA IRON ORE PROJECT ANNEX 1 OF THE EIA THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE STUDY AREA MARCH 2013 Orbicon A/S Ringstedvej 20 DK 4000 Roskilde Denmark Phone + 45 46 30 03 10 Version 5.0 Date 15 March 2013 Prepared FPJE Preface This document is Annex 1 to the EIA of the Isua Iron Ore Project. Annex 1 deals with the natural environment of the project area. Focus is on the terrestrial flora and fauna while the marine life of Godthåbsfjord is dealt with in Annex 3. Annexes of the EIA Annex Report title no. The natural environment of the study area 1 Caribou population in the study area 2 Marine mammals and sea birds in Godthåbsfjord 3 Air quality assessment 4 Noise assessment 5 Oil and chemicals and assessment of potential impacts of spills 6 Water management assessment 7 Geochemical characterisation and assessment of mine waste management 8 Hydropower Development –Preliminary Study. Technical Report. 9 Environmental Management Plan (EMP) 10 Annex 1 to the EIA of the Isua Project 2/90 TABLE OF CONTENTS 0 Summary ............................................................................................................ 9 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 11 1.1 The Isua Iron Ore Mining Project ...................................................................................... 11 1.2 Purpose of Annex 1 ........................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Definition of scope and data collection .............................................................................. 12 1.4 The structure of this report ................................................................................................ 14 2 The physical environment .............................................................................. 15 2.1 Godthåbsfjord and surroundings ....................................................................................... 15 2.2 Geology of the study area ................................................................................................. 16 2.3 Climate ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.4 Hydrology........................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Sea ice ............................................................................................................................... 18 3 Human land-use .............................................................................................. 20 3.1 Population .......................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Fishing ............................................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Hunting .............................................................................................................................. 20 3.4 Recreation ......................................................................................................................... 20 4 Vegetation ........................................................................................................ 21 4.1 Plant studies in the study area .......................................................................................... 22 4.2 The vegetation in the lowlands .......................................................................................... 22 4.2.1 Seashore ........................................................................................................................... 22 4.2.2 Dwarf-bush Heath .............................................................................................................. 23 4.2.3 Steppe ............................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.4 Ponds ................................................................................................................................. 26 4.2.5 Saltmarsh........................................................................................................................... 27 4.3 The upland vegetation ....................................................................................................... 29 4.3.1 Dwarf-bush heath .............................................................................................................. 29 4.3.2 Fell-field ............................................................................................................................. 29 4.3.3 Snow-patch ........................................................................................................................ 30 4.3.4 Fjeldmark ........................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.5 Grassland .......................................................................................................................... 30 4.4 The highland vegetation .................................................................................................... 30 4.4.1 Dwarf-bush Heath .............................................................................................................. 31 4.4.2 Fell-field ............................................................................................................................. 31 4.4.3 Snow-patch ........................................................................................................................ 31 4.5 Rare plants and their associated plant communities ......................................................... 32 4.5.1 Rare plants ........................................................................................................................ 32 4.5.2 Rare plant communities ..................................................................................................... 33 5 Mammals .......................................................................................................... 34 Annex 1 to the EIA of the Isua Project 3/90 5.1 Terrestrial mammals .......................................................................................................... 34 5.1.1 Caribou Rangifer tarandus ................................................................................................ 34 5.1.2 Musk oxen Ovibos moschatus........................................................................................... 42 5.1.3 Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus .................................................................................................. 42 5.1.4 Arctic hare Lepus arcticus ................................................................................................. 42 5.2 Marine mammals ............................................................................................................... 42 5.2.1 Hooded seal Crystophora cristata ..................................................................................... 43 5.2.2 Harp seal Phoca groenlandica .......................................................................................... 43 5.2.3 Ringed seal Phoca hispida ................................................................................................ 43 5.2.4 Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae ...................................................................... 44 6 Birds ................................................................................................................. 46 6.1 Divers ................................................................................................................................. 46 6.1.1 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata ..................................................................................... 46 6.1.2 Great Northern Diver Gavia immer .................................................................................... 46 6.2 Cormorants ........................................................................................................................ 47 6.2.1 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ............................................................................. 47 6.3 Geese ................................................................................................................................ 48 6.3.1 Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris ............................................. 48 6.3.2 Canada Goose Branta canadensis ................................................................................... 52 6.3.3 Brent Goose Branta bernicla ............................................................................................. 53 6.4 Ducks ................................................................................................................................. 54 6.4.1 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos .............................................................................................. 54 6.4.2 Common Eider Somateria mollissima ............................................................................... 54 6.4.3 Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus ........................................................................... 55 6.4.4 Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis ................................................................................. 57 6.4.5 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator .......................................................................