Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
single text book. A well designed i eldwork plan, however, will consider the following, in
addition to other site and task specii c issues:
Objectives:
Why collect i eld data?
Health and safety of study team:
Creating a climate of care
Logistics:
Accessing hard to reach areas
Environmental setting:
What do we know?
Data collection:
Measuring what matters
Quality control and quality assurance:
What it is required to make data credible?
A discussion of these issues follows.
What are the Objectives?
Fieldwork requires prior consideration of the why, who, what, when, where, and how of
data collection. The why is particularly important; i eld personnel commonly commence
data collection before developing a clear work plan that includes purpose and desired use of
the data. While the main objective of any baseline survey is to describe the current state
of the environment, data collection often serves a number of related purposes. Some follow.
Fieldwork requires prior
consideration of the why, who,
what, when, where, and how of
data collection.
Understanding the Affected Environment and its Components
Baseline surveys provide an understanding of the people and environmental components
that may be affected by the project, positively or negatively. It is often desirable to carry
out surveys in consultation with the affected indigenous and local people so that natu-
ral resources of particular signii cance to local communities can be identii ed. An under-
standing of natural resources (such as ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity) and their
existing usage, including valuation of these resources, is essential to the protection of both
biodiversity and cultural values, and their potential enhancement. Baseline surveys typi-
cally cover a wide spectrum of the host environment as illustrated in Table 8.4 .
Biodiversity Baseline Studies
Baseline studies are of paramount importance in assessing the biodiversity of a project
area. Not only do the baseline studies provide data on biodiversity, they provide the basis
for the design of rehabilitation programmes. However, it is neither possible nor necessary
to identify every species occurring in the area. In particular, the micro-l ora and micro-
fauna are seldom targeted in baseline studies unless there is reason to believe that rare or
endangered species are present. The most important need is to identify and characterize
each habitat in the area of interest, and for each habitat to evaluate its extent, not only
locally, but regionally. Of particular interest and concern would be the presence of small,
uncommon habitats within the potential mining project footprint.
It is important that baseline studies are designed and implemented so as to identify the
presence or absence of rare, endangered species that may be affected by project activities
(see Chapter Nine). Each country maintains its own register of protected species, while
the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN) in its Red Data Book and the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in its Appendices,
maintain lists of endangered, vulnerable, threatened, and near-threatened species.
Compiling a list of such species from these sources is a straightforward process. The next
step is to review the relevant biological literature to evaluate the distribution and habitat
data for each species so that its potential presence in the area of interest can be assessed. The
biological i eld programme is then designed so as to specii cally target each species identii ed
Not only do the baseline
studies provide data on bio-
diversity, they provide the basis
for the design of rehabilitation
programmes.
 
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