Biodiversity study in accordance with the requirements of IFC Performance Standard 6

Client: confidential client

Location: Russia, Amur region

Project: Biodiversity study in the area where the gas chemical complex construction project is being implemented in accordance with the requirements of IFC Performance Standard 6

Approach:

Desk studies included preliminary interpretation of remote sensing materials and study of special maps, review of literature, project documentation and electronic resources in order to confirm the inventory of species found in the territory under consideration and determine the distribution area and habitats of endemic species, species with limited habitat and species, endangered or on the verge of extinction.

To provide up-to-date baseline data on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Project area, original field studies of biodiversity were conducted over several seasons, including studies of:

• flora and vegetation cover of the Project area;
• fauna and animal populations of terrestrial ecosystems;
• flora and fauna of freshwater ecosystems;
• natural complexes

he research was carried out in the interfluve on a total area of ​​about 180 square kilometers at observation points, as well as during walking and automobile routes, including winter route surveys. Employees of the protected areas closest to the study area - Zeya State Nature Reserve, Khingan State Nature Reserve, as well as the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University were involved in the research.

During field research, geopositioning of all observations was carried out, and the information received was recorded in field observation logs. Where possible, photographic recording was made.

Interviews with the local population (hunters, farmers, shepherds, etc.), which were also conducted during field surveys, made it possible to obtain additional information about the species composition of the local fauna.
Particular attention was paid to determining the potential presence of endemic, rare and unique species in the Project area of ​​influence, and the presence and status of alien plant and animal species was determined.
When choosing a research area, the task was to cover the territory where direct and indirect impacts could potentially occur, as well as to justify the territory, which in the future could be considered as a territory for conducting background biological monitoring. Since, on the one hand, the Project includes a significant number of areal and linear objects located at some distance from each other, and on the other hand, the impacts on biodiversity are multifactorial in nature and some can manifest themselves at a considerable distance from the boundaries of construction sites, the research area turned out to be extensive. It was not possible to cover in full the entire identified area of ​​potential impact with surveys, and therefore the “key areas” method, generally accepted in field geobotanical and zoogeographical studies, was used.

Key areas are selected based on the principle of representativeness in order to cover the entire range of habitats, based on data from a preliminary study of remote sensing materials and data from special types of territorial zoning.

In accordance with the recommendations of IFC PS 6, habitats were classified - natural, transformed and critical habitats were identified, and the most vulnerable and valuable parameters of biodiversity were identified:

• rare and legally protected species (IUCN Red List, CITES, Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and the Amur Region)
• endemics (narrow-range species),
• specially protected natural areas,
• internationally recognized natural areas.

For all identified recipients, their value and vulnerability in relation to the predicted impacts from the Project implementation were determined.

Result:

The most significant and difficult to compensate impacts were those associated with habitat fragmentation as a result of the construction of new barriers that did not exist in the natural environment (buildings, fences, roads, embankments, ditches), which was aggravated by the presence of objects leading to cumulative impacts. The recipients of this impact were nomadic and migratory animals, mainly the Siberian roe deer.
The results of multi-seasonal studies of the state of biodiversity are used to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the Project and the development of mitigation and compensation measures to minimize damage to components of biodiversity, as well as ecosystem services - a Compensatory Measures Plan to ensure “no net loss”.