Title
Quantifying impact reduction due to avoidance, minimization and restoration for a natural gas pipeline in the Peruvian Andes
Date Issued
01 September 2017
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Vildoso B.
Casaretto C.
Taborga P.
Linares-Palomino R.
Mamani G.
Dallmeier F.
Alonso A.
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Inc.
Abstract
We present monitoring methods and quantitative biodiversity data to document components of the mitigation hierarchy. We estimated avoidance, minimization, restoration and impact reduction in quality hectares for the 25 m wide right of way of a 408 km natural gas buried pipeline that crosses 14 Ecological Landscape Units (ELUs) in the tropical Andes of Peru. We found that applying the mitigation hierarchy as part of a comprehensive biodiversity action plan substantially reduced impacts on biodiversity in all habitats studied. Avoidance and right of way minimization contributed to significant impact reduction. We quantified impact reduction during construction and operation on the right of way of the pipeline over a five-year period and found that restoration was the greatest contributor to reducing impacts. We documented that most ELUs have a positive restoration trajectory. We also documented how monitoring over large scale spatial scales, in combination with site-specific monitoring, generated data for management to determine restoration priorities and impact mitigation. A biodiversity action plan that incorporated the mitigation hierarchy and a science-based biodiversity monitoring and assessment program contributed to biodiversity management of the project and played an important role in minimizing and managing impacts.
Start page
53
End page
65
Volume
66
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
IngenierĂa ambiental y geolĂ³gica
IngenierĂa del PetrĂ³leo, (combustibles, aceites), EnergĂa, Combustibles
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85021187756
Source
Environmental Impact Assessment Review
ISSN of the container
01959255
Sponsor(s)
Numerous people and organizations assisted with this project and we are indebted to all of them. We thank the government of Peru (DirecciĂ³n General Forestal y de Fauna, Ministerio de Agricultura) for granting us permits for field studies (No. 440-2009-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, No. 344-2010-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, No. 144-2012-AG-DGFF-DGEFFS). We thank the Smithsonian Institution and PERU LNG for financial support (SI Fund No.: 802-0000-501464-353080-2310). Two anonymous reviewers provided detailed comments that resulted in a greatly improved manuscript. This is publication # 45 from the Peru Biodiversity Program, Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Sources of information:
Directorio de ProducciĂ³n CientĂfica
Scopus