Establishment of Fauna
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A native bird species (Resolute Mining Ltd, 2013)
When rehabilitating an open pit mine, one of the key sustainability goals should be to establish a sustainable ecosystem based on natives. In addition to flora, fauna species should also be accommodated by the selection of vegetation and the provision for animal habitats (Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices, 2011). The key to this is to recolonise fauna and attract back the animals, rather than introduce new animals, although the timeline for this is difficult to predict.
Implementation
In providing for a habitat for native fauna, there is no single strategy that can be used. Much of this depends on the location of the site, the existing habitat and ecosystem deficiencies, and the fauna to be reintroduced. Despite this, some general methods EMM Resources will look towards to implement this strategy include:
Any strategy to establish fauna at any site of EMM Resources will involve a combination of these methods, and potentially some which may be dependent on the individual site requirements, as a blanket approach is highly unlikely to be successful.
- Transplanting of native grasstrees
- Reuse of vegetation in the form of mulch
- Construction of perches, nesting boxes to provide shelter and support breeding for bird species
- Return timber and logs to the area to provide shelter on the ground for fauna
- Use of waste rock and boulders to provide for reptile habitat
- Establishment of old and dead trees to provide hollows to be used for shelter for native fauna
Any strategy to establish fauna at any site of EMM Resources will involve a combination of these methods, and potentially some which may be dependent on the individual site requirements, as a blanket approach is highly unlikely to be successful.
Evaluation
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A native glider (Wildlife Tourism Australia, 2009)
EMM Resources will implement a process of constantmonitoring and maintenance. This process starts before the clearing of the site to establish theauna communities which currently exist, and the vegetation and habitatrequirements. This can be used in order to determine what is needed to reintroduce native fauna once the rehabilitation process is underway. In monitoring the fauna as it begins to return, the success of the strategy can be attained, and remedial actions can be implemented should they be required.
Ultimately EMM Resources will evaluate the success of this strategy upon whether we are able to re-establish similar fauna in similar numbers to what was originally located.
References
Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices. (2011). A Guide to Leading Practice Sustainable Development in Mining. Retrieved May 5, 2013, from http://www.ret.gov.au/resources/documents/lpsdp/guidelpsd.pdf
Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry. (2006). Mine Rehabilitation. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from
http://www.minerals.org.au/file_upload/files/resources/enduring_value/mine_rehab.pdf
Resolute Mining Ltd. (2013). Environment. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from
http://www.resolute-ltd.com.au/corporate-responsibility/environment/
Wildlife Tourism Australia. (2009). Mining and Australian Wildlife. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from
http://wildlifetourism.org.au/discussions/conservation-of-wildlife-and-habitats/coal-seam-gas-and-australian-wildlife/
Leading Practice Sustainable Development Program for the Mining Industry. (2006). Mine Rehabilitation. Retrieved May 14, 2013, from
http://www.minerals.org.au/file_upload/files/resources/enduring_value/mine_rehab.pdf
Resolute Mining Ltd. (2013). Environment. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from
http://www.resolute-ltd.com.au/corporate-responsibility/environment/
Wildlife Tourism Australia. (2009). Mining and Australian Wildlife. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from
http://wildlifetourism.org.au/discussions/conservation-of-wildlife-and-habitats/coal-seam-gas-and-australian-wildlife/