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Mine Rehabilitation Monitoring for Successful Biodiversity Outcomes Chase Dingle - IAR Overview • • • • • • • • Boggabri Coal Mine Background Biodiversity refuge Monitoring Methods ‘Beyond’ BACI monitoring Results Objectives achieved? 2 Boggabri Coal Mine • 15 km NE of Boggabri in Leard State Forest (8,134ha) • Liverpool Plains Sub region • LSF Zoning 4 • forestry, recreation, mineral extraction • Surrounded by agriculture cropping, sheep and wheat • Mine rehab → regeneration/reinstate forest • Forestry production 3 3 Rehab Background • Mining began 2006 • Rehab preparation – Nov 2007 – Plant lines – rip and mound – Rows 5 metres apart – Aerial seeding • • • • 70% Rhodes (Chloris gayana) 10% Premier digit grass (Digitaria sumutsii) 10% green panic (Panicum maximum var trichoglume) 10% Bisset creeping blue grass (Bothriochloa insculpta) – Grass planting to reduce erosion 4 Background - Native tree species • Available spp – Eucalyptus crebra (narrow leaf ironbark) – Allocasuarina leuhmannii (Bull oak) – Eucalyptus blakelyi (Blakely’s gum) – local box gums – white, grey, yellow • Seed sourced from Leard SF • Issues • Kangaroos • Rhodes grass Eucalyptus blakelyi - Blakely’s gum 5 Background - Rehab focus • Initial trials focussed on – establishing successful tree species – ripping and planting densities – fertilisers and supplements • Change to adaptive management due to – Rhodes grass impacts on • • • • soil moisture tree growth native diversity of understorey fauna habitat • Include non indigenous native tree species – Increased growth rates – Fast establishment of structure, habitats & food resources 6 Biodiversity refuge • The mine adjoins a refuge within the regional landscape – Leard State Conservation Area (to the north west) • Refuge contains moderate diversity - a range of species, birds and bats • NSW DoPI requirement – reinstate forest • Zoning 4 – forestry, recreation, resource extraction • Therefore reinstate biodiversity • Therefore monitor for biodiversity 7 Vegetation Communities (project boundary) Grassy Woodlands on Fertile Soils Shrubby Woodland/Open Forest on Skeletal Soils Grasslands Riverine Woodlands 8 Ecological Communities (project boundary) Three TECs: • White box, Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum Woodland • Plains Grass grassland (Brigalow Belt Sth Bioregion) • Weeping Myall Woodland • All listed under NSW TSC Act 1995 and EPBC Act 1999 9 Species composition (project boundary) • 427 plant spp – 365 spp (86%) native – 2 threatened spp - TSC Act or EPBC Act • (Pomaderris queenslandica (Scant Pomaderris), • Pultenaea setulosa (vulnerable – EPBC Act) • 194 animal spp – – – – – 6 amphibian spp 129 birds spp 31 mammal spp 28 reptile spp 21 threatened (TSC Act), 4 threatened (EPBC Act), 2 migratory (EPBC Act) Pultenaea setulosa Strophurus williamsii - Eastern Spiny-tailed Gecko 10 Monitoring – the beginning • A monitoring program for biodiversity was established in February 2006 as part of the Boggabri Coal Project. • Provision of a monitoring program was included in the mine’s Operational Environmental Management Plan, with a number of drivers for a comprehensive monitoring program 11 Why monitor biodiversity in Leard SF? • Conditions of original consent • Conditions of extension consents – NSW DoPI and SEWPaC • To establish a baseline understanding of the biodiversity values being impacted and success of the rehabilitation works being undertaken at Boggabri Coal • To test predictions about impacts, detect unforeseen impacts and assess effectiveness of mitigation measures • Increase acceptance and reduce unwarranted criticism of the impacts of the project 12 Biodiversity Monitoring To date: • 8 years biodiversity monitoring within Leard SF and region • 6 years targeted threatened species surveys within Leard SF and the region Funnel Trap line for reptiles and small mammal trapping 13 Monitoring – Beyond BACI • The commonly accepted monitoring design for biodiversity monitoring on a mine site is ‘Beyond BACI’ design (Underwood 1992), with BACI referring to Before/After Control/Impact and the ‘beyond’ element relating to the use of multiple control sites instead of just one. 14 Monitoring design to date • Best Practice - beyond BACI design (Before/After Control/Impact and the ‘beyond’ element relating to the use of multiple control sites instead of just one.) • Impact - 4 monitoring sites within Leard SF • Beyond - 4 sites in each of Vickery State Forest and Rocklea. (Vickery changed to offset sites Nandewar Ra.) • To date, monitoring sessions completed over 8 periods • Before- February 2006 (before start of mining), • After - May 2006, March 2007, May 2008, January 2009, May 2010, July 2011 and August 2012. • Both univariate and multivariate statistical procedures 15 What to monitor • Variables measured at each of the sites included: – – – – Vegetation: species and weed diversity Birds: species diversity and numbers Bats: species diversity, numbers and activity Invertebrates: species diversity Underwoodisaurus milii - Thick-tailed Gecko Neophema pulchella – Turquoise Parrot Nyctophilus geoffroyi - Lesser Long-eared Bat Prostanthera sp 19 Methods The following surveys were done at each survey site (randomly selected within the location): • Two 100 m transect surveys of vegetation cover abundance • Invertebrates surveyed using two 100 m transects with ten pitfall traps in each • Two nights of microbat recordings using AnaBat • Two 20 minute point bird census surveys on non-consecutive mornings 20 Methods – statistical analysis Univariate analysis of species richness • Comparison of the change in species richness of each of the four groups monitored (i.e. vegetation, birds, microbats and invertebrates) through time and tests the significance of these changes. Multivariate analysis of species richness • Comparison of the similarity (or dissimilarity) of the species of the four groups monitored at each site based on both the species richness and composition. 21 Univariate analysis species richness Vegetation 22 Univariate analysis species richness Birds 23 Univariate analysis species richness Invertebrates 24 Multivariate analysis Vegetation 25 Multivariate analysis Birds 26 Multivariate analysis Invertebrates 27 Rehab Biodiversity Monitoring February 2008 to May 2012 Ninox connivens - Barking Owl Underwoodisaurus milii - Thick-tailed Gecko Pterostylis boormanii - Greenhood Rehab monitoring • Surveys were designed and conducted using same methods that were currently being undertaken for the Boggabri Coal biodiversity monitoring program. • Allowing Leard SF sites to provide detailed baseline for the establishment of rehabilitation • The sampling involved bird surveys, invertebrate pitfall trap surveys, microchiropteran surveys, biobanking plots and vegetation transects. 29 Survey sites - Rehab 30 ‹#› Rehab photographic monitoring (2012) RH2008 – four years old RH2010 – two years old RH2011 – one year old RH2012 – current 32 Native fauna spp richness • 30 bird species * Threatened bird species, Vulnerable under NSW TSC Act Bird Species diversity – woodland and grassland – Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) – Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii) – *Speckled Warbler 18 (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus) 16 * 14 – Turquoise Parrot (Neophema 12 pulchella) 10 Neophema pulchella - Turquoise Parrot 8 6 4 2 0 Analog Leard SF RH 2011 RH 2010 Reference Site Average bird species richness comparison 33 RH 2008 Rehabilitation Fauna July 2011 Rehab area Common name Australian Pipit Australian Wood Duck Brown Quail Brown Treecreeper Scientific name Anthus australis Chenonetta jubata Coturnix ypsilophora Climacteris picumnus Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Common Bronzewing Double-barred Finch Galah Grey Shrike-thrush Inland Thornbill Jacky Winter Little Lorikeet Magpie-lark Pied Butcherbird Red-winged Parrot Speckled Warbler (TS) Superb Fairy-wren Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Variegated Fairy-wren Weebill White-plumed Honeyeater White-winged Fairy-wren Yellow Thornbill Yellow-rumped Thornbill Eastern Grey Kangaroo Common Wallaroo Acanthiza uropygialis Phaps chalcoptera Taeniopygia bichenovii Cacatua roseicapilla Colluricincla harmonica Acanthiza apicalis Microeca fascinans Glossopsitta pusilla Grallina cyanoleuca Cracticus nigrogularis Aprosmictus erythropterus Pyrrholaemus sagittatus Malurus cyaneus Cacatua galerita Malurus lamberti Smicrornis brevirostris Lichenostomus penicillatus Malurus leucopterus Acanthiza nana Acanthiza chrysorrhoa Macropus giganteus Macropus robustus No Spp. (count) Total 12m 3 1 5 Forest Average bird abundance comparison 36m 5 1 5 2 11 2 11 1 2 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 2 1 6 3 10 4 15 57 7 8 1 6 5 3 1 8 1 1 1 16 65 34 Native fauna spp richness Invertebrates • 335 invertebrates from 13 morpho-species in 2yo rehab • Ants most abundant group • Leard State Forest has a greater invert diversity 20 Invertebrate species diversity • Often the first invertebrates to colonise new areas on rehabilitation sites • Bio indicator of the success of the rehabilitation (Andersen et al. 2003) • Vital in seed dispersal, pollination • Can have an impact upon seed predation Av. Invert. diversity comparison 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Analog Leard SF RH2010 Site Reference 35 ‹#› Summary - flora (2012) • 48 plant spp (incl 8 exotic) • Averages of 21.4 native spp/rehab site and 5 exotic spp/rehab site • Overall rehab = 67% diversity compared with analogue sites in LSF • sites >2yo have relatively high number of spp characteristic of the critically endangered community of White Box Yellow Box Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and derived native grassland (EPBC Act) 37 Summary – fauna (2012) • Majority of birds commonly occurring spp inhabiting grassland habitats • Bird spp diversity, including woodland species and honeyeaters, increasing over time with structural diversity • Low invert diversity compared with LSF • Abundance data for inverts higher than LSF due to high numbers of ants recorded • Invert diversity and relative abundance of ants requires further analysis and review to determine potential impacts on improved seed dispersal and predation • Microbat diversity and abundance lower than LSF ← Low structural diversity not optimal for foraging • 2 macropod spp recorded 38 Monitoring cumulative impacts • Maules Creek Mine and expansion of Boggabri Coal Mine within Leard SF require biodiversity monitoring as conditions of consent • Cumulative impacts are focus for the government (water, air, noise etc.) and include biodiversity • Some monitoring sites within Leard SF required relocation to accommodate extension, extensive existing baseline data available • The expansion of the existing monitoring programme is relatively simple 39 Cumulative impacts on Leard Benefits of cumulative monitoring • Seen to be pro-active and best practice by consent authorities and community – By providing a biodiversity monitoring report addressing cumulative impacts as part of AEMR reporting • Use of existing databases, herbarium and invert collection for sampling and data analysis • Proven methodology and agencies’ acceptance • Demonstrates the effectiveness of the current mitigation measures 41 Summary of 2012 ‘beyond’ monitoring • High spp diversity in most survey techniques • Data provide good information on the biodiversity of LSF and the opportunity to continue monitoring potential changes in biodiversity values as a result of ongoing mining activities • Results indicate that undisturbed areas of LSF remain in a relatively similar biodiversity condition over the history of the program, since mining began • Identifies additional plant, bird and microbat spp in LSF, = good inventory of species likely to be affected as mine progresses • Includes seven threatened bird spp and five threatened microbat spp 42 Trends • Leard State Forest remains in a relatively similar biodiversity condition over the history of the program – no impacts from mining • Univariate analysis of the data generally found that Leard State Forest was experiencing similar trends to either Vickery State Forests and/or Rocklea • Multivariate analysis did not identify any significant trends occurring in Leard State Forest that were not also occurring in the control sites 43 Mine extension to include offset monitoring • Monitoring required for management actions within biodiversity offsets • NSW DoPI Approval requirement • SEWPaC Approval requirement • Both Govs require cumulative Biodiversity Management Plans • Use similar monitoring sites to inform both requirements – control sites 44 Objectives achieved? Trials helped establish endangered communities x Issues with Rhodes grass Using data efficiently improves rehab methods and communities Univariate analysis – LSF similar trends to control sites. Multivariate analysis – no significant trends in LSF not in control sites ↑ing vegetation structure ↑ing biodiversity compared with analogue sites Community and government acceptance Psephotus haematonotus - Red-rumped Parrot Litoria caerulea - Green Tree Frog 45