The Baseline - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 372

the other hand, given limited resources, selecting fewer sites allows for a more in-depth
survey at each site. The number of sampling locations depends on what is measured. A
baseline inventory for fauna and l ora, for example, requires a relatively broad assess-
ment of the biodiversity at several sites with variable habitats. In contrast, a species-specii c
assessment would concentrate on habitats used by the target species and may forego sev-
eral sampling sites to provide greater depth of study in fewer sites. In selecting a greater
or a smaller number of sites the choice is not either/or, but to reach the best compromise
between coverage and intensity. Finally, and often most importantly, the number of sample
locations depends on the nature and size of the project. Ideally, data obtained from a well
designed set of sampling locations serve as output indicators (characterizing the source of
impacts), as impact and pressure indicators (providing information on long-term mine-
induced environmental change), and as a state indicator (or control location represent-
ing environmental change without the mine), as well as providing design data sought by
project planners. Sets of sampling locations need to be developed for each environmental
component. As illustrated in Figure 8.5 for water, while the number and function of sam-
pling locations may vary throughout the life of mine, they are interlinked by the indicator
framework used to design the baseline and long-term monitoring programme. Figure 8.5
also illustrates that the baseline surveys are an integral part of designing a meaning-
ful long-term environmental management and monitoring programme for the mine.
Environmental management and monitoring is further discussed in Chapter Ten.
It follows from this discussion that the sampling programme should be formulated care-
fully and judiciously by experienced professionals, and that all parties including the i eld
team, the project proponent and regulators should be aware of the trade-offs involved and
the limitations of the data.

The number of sample locations
depends on the nature and size
of the project.

Distinct versus Representative Sample Locations
The selection of sample locations depends on geography, on what natural resource is sam-
pled and with what purpose, and whether sampling locations are chosen by virtue of being
characteristic or distinct. Choosing between distinct versus representative sampling sites
depends on the purpose of data collection.
Representative or characteristic sites are representative of the typical habitats present within
a given area. They are selected to provide a general description of the natural resources at the
mine site. Biological sampling locations are often chosen to be representative of each specii c
habitat. Characteristic sites are often selected as control sites. Control sites are sampling sites
that will stay unaffected by mine development, and hence serve as reference points in long-
term monitoring. A comprehensive monitoring programme will include control sites for all
aspects of the host environment, including the human environment.
Distinct sites are representatives of a distinct habitat of a specii c area. Usually habitat is
not continuous, and localized gradations in habitat create a mosaic of related but distinct
communities that grade into one another. Distinct sites are established to provide accu-
rate baseline information at specii c sites, independent of whether or not the sampling site
is representative of a larger project area. Distinct sites are often monitoring sites that are
intended to become part of long-term monitoring during mine operation, such as down-
stream water monitoring sites.

A comprehensive monitoring
programme will include control
sites for all aspects of the host
environment, including the
human environment

Available Expertise
Data collection is best carried out by experts who, through practice and education in a
particular i eld, are accorded authority and status by the public or their peers. An expert
in terrestrial botany is someone who, for example, is familiar with current sampling and