Pierre River Mine Project

TERRESTRIAL AENV SIRS 44 – 78
Western (Boreal) Toad
Wood Bison
Woodland Caribou
Section 13.1
order to quantify the change in total area and proportion of area of each
ecosite phase or wetlands type between Base Case and Closure (see Table
AENV 59-1). Habitat associations of federally-listed species were primarily
derived from direct observations from baseline surveys conducted for the
project from 2005 to 2007 (Wildlife Environmental Setting Report,
Volume 5, Table 5.2-1) or from historic wildlife survey results in the Oil
Sands Region. These associations are equated with ecosite phases and
wetlands types in the LSAs as defined by vegetation mapping produced for
the Terrestrial Vegetation, Wetlands and Forest Resources impact assessment
(Volume 5, Section 7).
Three boreal toads were detected during amphibian surveys conducted within
the LSAs (Terrestrial Environmental Setting Report, Section 5.5.5.1). These
observations occurred in wooded fen (FTNN) and wooded bog (BTNN)
wetlands types. Additionally, historical data from the Oil Sands Region
indicate boreal toads have been detected within a variety of habitat types
(e.g., shrubby fen [FONS], marsh [MONG], lichen jack pine [a1], Labrador
tea-subhygric black spruce-jack pine [g1]; Golder 2000; Canadian Natural
2006; Rio Alto 2002; Table AENV 59-1). Using information from project
surveys and historical surveys, the net gain of habitat types from Base Case
to Closure for western toad is approximately 120 ha (less than 1% of the
LSAs, as shown in Table AENV 59-1).
Two incidental observations of wood bison were recorded within the Pierre
Rive Mine LSA. These observations occurred in lichen jackpine (a1) and
Labrador tea-mesic jack pine–black spruce (c1) ecosite phases (Terrestrial
Environmental Setting Report, Appendix T). Historical survey data on other
habitat associations for wood bison were not available for the Oil Sands
Region. Using information from project surveys, the net gain of habitat types
from Base Case to Closure for wood bison is approximately 4,780 ha (9% of
the LSAs; see Table AENV 59-1).
A single woodland caribou track was recorded during winter tracking
surveys in graminoid fen (FONG) on the Jackpine Mine Expansion LSA
(Terrestrial Environmental Setting Report, Section 5.3.1.4). Historical survey
observations for caribou in the Oil Sands Region occur across a wide variety
of upland and wetland habitat types (e.g., wooded fen [FTNN], marsh
[MONG], shrubby fen [FONS], low-bush cranberry aspen-white spruce [d2],
Labrador tea-mesic jack pine-black spruce [c1], Labrador tea-subhygric
black spruce-jack pine [g1], and lichen jack pine [a1]) (MEG 2005; Canadian
Natural 2006; Golder 2003). Using information from project surveys and
historical surveys, the net gain of habitat types from Base Case to Closure for
woodland caribou is approximately 2,795 ha (6% of the LSAs; see Table
AENV 59-1).
13-26 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
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