Grant: Engage Grants Program

One of the most challenging aspects of undertaking environmental impact assessments is determining thedistribution of rare plant species. In particular, understanding how the specific environmental conditions of aparticular geographical area - potentially being approved for natural resource extraction - may or may notsupport rare plants. Stantec Consulting Ltd. conducts environmental impact statements (EIS) throughvegetation surveys and guided by a list of rare plant species likely to occur within its client's proposed mining,oil and gas project area. In order to make appropriate management recommendations and to suggest suitablemitigation actions, Stantec requires a better understanding of the ecology and distribution of rare plants inNewfoundland & Labrador. Therefore, this proposal aims to develop unique probability models of suitablehabitats for rare plants in Labrador. This new knowledge will be added within Stantec's EIS, which willimprove their assessments on the real distribution of rare plants, and the real impact of proposed naturalresource developments.Following recommendations from Stantec and Newfoundland's Wildlife Division we will select five rarespecies for which species distribution models will be estimated. Using currently available occurrence data fromthe Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre and Memorial University's Agnes Marion Ayre Herbarium forthe selected rare plants, we will develop species-specific distribution models. Using other data such astemperature, precipitation, elevation and soil types these distribution models will be able to predict the locationof the most suitable habitats to sustain them. This work will fill a knowledge gap that results insometimes-unnecessary mitigation plans, therefore the general environmental assessment industry will benefitfrom the research outcomes, as well as the natural resource sector, and government regulatory agenciesresponsible for approving natural resource extraction.