Glahder, C.M., Meltofte, H., Walsh, A. & Dinesen, L. 2011. Breeding birds in the Ramsar site Heden and in a proposed Ramsar replacement area, Jameson Land, East Greenland. National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark. 98 pp. – NERI Technical Report No. 822.
The present report describes breeding bird studies performed in June 2009 in two different areas of Jameson Land in East Greenland (Fig. 1) in connection with planned mining activities. The purpose of the studies was to establish baseline knowledge of breeding bird densities and distributions in the Gurreholm area in the north-western part of the Heden Ramsar site and in the Ørsted Dal area proposed as a Ramsar replacement area to compensate for expected disturbances at Gurreholm. The derived knowledge was used to assess the likely impacts from mining activities on the breeding bird populations in the Gurreholm area and to evaluate, whether the proposed Ramsar replacement area would be able to give protection under the Ramsar Convention to similar species and numbers that potentially will be displaced from the impacted area.
In late 2008 the mining company, Quadra Mining Ltd., was granted an exploitation license. The license covers primarily a large molybdenum mineralization in the Malmbjerget area situated about 75 km north of the Ramsar site Heden (Fig. 1). To transport the molybdenum concentrate out of the area, the company plans to develop the north-western part of the Ramsar site, named Gurreholm. The planned activities include the construction of a port, a gravel road and a 2000 m long air strip. The Greenland Government has claimed the mining project of “urgent national interests”. The Ramsar Convention Secretariat is in dialogue with the Greenland Government and has accepted that the project can proceed provided that the impact of the activities is monitored and that an appropriate replacement area is found in advance.
The Ramsar site Heden in high Arctic East Greenland (centre 71º00’N; 24º00’W) covers 2524 km2 of the large Jameson Land lowland tundra area. It was designated in 1988, primarily to protect internationally important populations of moulting pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus and barnacle geese Branta leucopsis. Of importance for the designation were also other breeding birds like divers, waders and skuas together with uncommon breeding birds like Sabine’s gull Larus sabini and whimbrel Numenius phaeopus.
The present report gives an overview of the breeding bird studies performed in Jameson Land in 2009, presents in detail the distribution of all breeding species in the four different study areas and assesses the likely disturbance effects of the mining activities.
The studies were performed during the optimal period in high Arctic Greenland for performing a breeding bird census so the results represent realistic numbers of breeding pairs of that particular year. The breeding season in Jameson Land in 2009 is thought to have been good due to early snow melt, indicating that densities of breeding pairs were not suppressed by poor conditions. The densities of breeding pairs of waders in both Gurreholm and Ørsted Dal areas were rather high as compared to high Arctic study areas of similar size.
From our present knowledge of the mining constructions and activities inside the Ramsar site Heden and from a literature based ‘median avoidance distance’ of 300 m from human activities and structures, we have calculated the number of breeding pairs of each species that potentially will be displaced by the mining activities. Similarly, for breeding geese we have used a 1500 m avoidance distance. The numbers of birds displaced will always level off with increasing distance form a disturbance. Hence, the median avoidance distance from the different disturbances created by the mining activities is regarded as the distance where as many birds are displaced outside this distance as will remain inside the distance. Furthermore, we have chosen a precautionary principle, meaning that disturbances hardly will be more extensive than anticipated. However, this is on the precondition that a total ban on dogs is implemented at Gurreholm, and that no human access to areas outside roads etc. is allowed.
On the basis of the calculated numbers of potentially displaced breeding pairs at Heden and the number of breeding pairs calculated for the entire Ørsted Dal replacement area, we conclude that the replacement area fully can give protection under the Ramsar Convention to the number of breeding pairs that potentially can be displaced from the Ramsar site, as long as the species are found breeding in both areas.
However, nine species were found breeding only in the Gurreholm area. The total number of pairs of these species potentially affected by the mining activities was calculated to c. 50 with 2-10 pairs per species. This number seems low, but three of the species, Sabine’s gull, whimbrel and Eurasian golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, are considered near-threatened in Greenland and Jameson Land is the only known breeding area in Greenland for the latter two species.
Besides having no mining activities inside the Ramsar site, the impacts could be minimized by reducing the affected area as much as possible. Since the airstrip and belonging constructions and flight corridors are situated most easterly of the activities, it would reduce the impact, if these activities are moved as far west as possible or north of the Ramsar site. As mentioned, effects can also be reduced by avoiding any access to the Ramsar site outside the port, the airstrip area and the roads including a ban on dogs.
Full report in PDF-format (6,6 MB)
