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EXAMPLES OF BIODIVERSITY
STUDIES UNDERTAKEN
Pilbara bat study
A long-term study into the rare Pilbara leaf-nosed bat went
beyond the monitoring required by regulation. A five-year
monitoring program, coupled with a regional genetic study on
the species has provided insights into the life of this elusive
species for BHP Billiton Iron Ore and other companies in
the region.
Initial monitoring showed an apparent decline in bat
numbers, so the study was expanded to better understand bat
population dynamics. Environmental specialists employed by
BHP Billiton Iron Ore developed innovative genetic markers and
acoustic methods to track bat populations roosting as close as
500 metres to mines and haul roads.
Continued monitoring found changes in bat populations near
mines were caused by natural patterns of movement between
colonies, rather than mining activity. This result was backed up
by the results of the genetics study, which showed the Pilbara
has one large inter-breeding population of bats, and importantly,
the bats near BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s mines are not physically or
genetically isolated from other populations in the Pilbara.
Night-long recordings of bat echo-location calls used in the
study have led to new ways of predicting the use of particular
caves and their importance to bat species.
Pilbara rehabilitation partnership
with King’s Park
The BHP Billiton Iron Ore Environment team has collaborated
with scientists from Perth’s Kings Park on the
Pilbara Seed Atlas
research project. Now in its third year, the project was initiated
around the need to learn more about the unique ecosystems of
the Pilbara.
An overall focus of the project, involving four Kings Park
senior scientists, is to successfully re-plant species unique
to the Pilbara and regions following the direct application
(broadcasting) of native seed.
To date the project has studied 82 species, which have
been tested at Kings Park’s Science Laboratory with promising
results. The next milestone will be delivering the outcomes of
the research to site operations.
Earthwatch partnership
Further south, the company partnered with Earthwatch
Australia to assess the impact of introduced pests on endangered
native mammals.
Working alongside scientists from around the country
including Edith Cowan University and Bush Heritage, BHP
Billiton Iron Ore volunteers spent time at Bush Heritage’s
Charles Darwin Reserve, 350 kilometres north-east of Perth.
Volunteers worked long hours negotiating rocky outcrops
to conduct biodiversity surveys and place traps and cameras to
estimate the number of foxes and cats in the area. The aim of the
research was to assess the most effective way of trapping feral
predators to preserve the conservation values of the region.
BHP Billiton Iron Ore has several biodiversity projects under
way across the state and is very proud of what is being achieved.
The Pilbara in particular is one of the most beautiful regions in
the world, and the company is committed to ensuring the beauty
and integrity of the area is preserved for the enjoyment of
future generations.
AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY FACTS
•
Australia’s biodiversity is under constant
threat from the impact of human activity
•
Australia is home to around 700,000
species of plants, animals and
micro-organisms
•
Many of these are not found anywhere
else on the planet
•
Since European settlement, around
50 species of Australian animals and
more than 60 species of plants have
become extinct
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follows a process to
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measures to protect them.