Brenda Mine Biodiversity Enhancement

At Brenda Mine, the deck discusses how rough-and-loose patches, live staking, fencing and habitat structures can add topographic and vegetation diversity to disturbed mine sites. It includes dated growth examples from 2012 to 2016.

7:37 · 40 slides · Historical presentation · No recorded narration

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Brenda Mine: Biodiversity Enhancement · Rough and Loose Biodiversity Notes from Brenda Mine

About this presentation

Source: Segment Brenda Biodiversity Enhancements. Slides by David Polster; individual image and diagram credits remain in the presentation. This video includes the complete supplied deck. It is an archive slideshow, not a recording of the spoken conference session.

Dates, costs and examples reflect the original presentation. Treatment suitability depends on current site conditions and requirements.

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  1. Enhancing Biodiversity on Drastically Disturbed Sites

  2. Traditional reclamation has created vast stands of successionally stagnant grasses and legumes

  3. These stands of grasses and legumes have created biological deserts

  4. Sparse vegetation cover limits site productivity = limited diversity

  5. Slow, sparse growth limits diversity

  6. Long, unstable dump slopes prevent recovery = limited diversity

  7. Unstable slopes and compacted benches = limited productivity = limited diversity

  8. Seeded grasses and legumes coupled with no shooting zones creates an explosion of ungulate populations

  9. These animals reduce shrub cover, limiting nesting habitat for songbirds

  10. Excessive herbivory limits recovery = limited diversity

  11. Lack of ecological structure limits diversity.

  12. Limited diversity limits resilience.

  13. So, what can be done?

  14. Making sites rough and loose creates instant diversity
    Topographic heterogeneity

  15. Covering 10% of the mine with rough and loose patches will enhance the biodiversity while reducing costs.

  16. Treatments in various locations creates spatial heterogeneity

  17. Treatments over a number of years creates temporal heterogeneity
    At a big mine, there are lots of opportunities

  18. Rough and loose sites address several issues

  19. The topographic heterogeneity creates a diversity of moisture regimes

  20. The loose substrate provides opportunities for live staking

  21. Even on waste rock sites the rough and loose treatment makes live staking easy.

  22. Cuttings planted deeply and plugs planted on the surface creates a system of niche complementarity = increased diversity

  23. Pioneering species can be used to initiate successional trajectories.

  24. The symbiotic relationship between Alnus spp. And Frankia alni creates conditions that foster successional advancement.

  25. Fencing eliminates the problem of excess herbivory.

  26. Brush piles can add habitat complexity and ecological structure.

  27. Nest boxes bridge the gap between young forests with no cavity trees and old forests.

  28. Bluebird boxes bring back these charismatic birds*.
    *Can build social licence.

  29. Mountain Bluebirds moving in June 5, 2012
    The value of a photo like this in the local paper compared to a photo of the Mount Polley Tailings disaster can not be calculated.

  30. Bat boxes and a Kestrel box add further habitat diversity.

  31. Cuttings starting to grow
    June 5, 2012

  32. August 9, 2012

  33. May 13, 2013

  34. May 18, 2015

  35. September 20, 2016

  36. Live staking with pioneering species initiates a recovery trajectory.
    August 9, 2012

  37. May 18, 2015

  38. September 20, 2016
    On waste rock sites once compaction is reduced, good growth is obtained. Pioneering species build soils.

  39. May 18, 2015

  40. Making mine sites lumpy can foster diversity and resilience.
    September 20, 2016

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