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species would be crucial during land Existing laws and regulations or
A standards
development. meet the national or international
Wildlife can be evaluated using direct
Classification of flora and fauna
observation (e.g., sighting of birds, reptiles, status criteria such as
conservation status of a species B
amphibians, and mammals) or indirectly (e.g., endemic, rare, endangered
through animal signs like tracks, sounds and or threatened).
calls, burrows, den and nests markings on soil Consistency with the policy aims
(e.g., for forestry, agriculture,
or vegetation, bones or carcass, droppings, C conservation, land use, and etc.).
feathers and others. Another indirect data
collection is from an interview of inhabitants
Consultation with experts and
(e.g., Orang Asli) within or adjacent to the acceptance of relevant decision
makers community or general D
development area. public.
Primary faunal data collection could
also be obtained by trappings (i.e., capture It is important to understand how
and release), such as mist nets (for birds and habitat alteration by clear-cutting and land
bats), harp traps (for insectivorous bats), cage conversion can affect wildlife in each project
traps (for small mammals such as rodents, location. Therefore, understanding how the
shrews and squirrels), pit falls (for ground entire ecosystem operates and how that relies
animals like reptiles, amphibians, small on one another is crucial.
mammals, etc.), light traps (for nocturnal
animals), camera trap (for large, medium and Biodiversity should be evaluated by
small mammals, birds, etc.) and others. measuring the species diversity, food chain,
and any specific habitat requirements (e.g.,
A detailed methodology can be nesting trees for hornbills). All possible
obtained from publications and consult with negative impacts of habitat disturbance on
PERHILITAN and academicians from biological diversity must be predicted and
university. Fauna that is expected to be found evaluated accordingly in the initial
in the area could also be listed in the list. development process.
6.3 EVALUATION OF IMPACTS 6.3.1 Evaluation of the Habitat
The impact evaluation on flora is based
During the evaluation process, on the type of plant species present, their
predicted impacts are compared with several economic status (timber), medicinal value,
standards or criteria and collected baseline source of genetic resources and conservation
data to evaluate their significance to the status (i.e., rare, endemic, threatened or
wildlife management or rescue plan. This endangered).
could tell one whether mitigation of the
impact would be necessary to bring the Information on the pre-felling forest
impacts to acceptable levels. The evaluation inventory by the Forestry Department and
of impacts can be based on the following: consulting with local experts could help in
defining the economic timber status as well as
pharmaceutical, medicinal and other values.
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GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON WILDLIFE 33
GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON
IMPACT STUDY FOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL
WILDLIFE IMPACT STUDY FOR EIA
IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)