Biodiversity conservation is a mining concern — expert

An expert raised urgency for mining companies nationwide to establish respective forest restoration and biodiversity units.

Such units will concentrate on restoring forests and conserving biodiversity in mining concession-covered areas, noted botanist and University of the Philippines-Los Baños professor Dr. Edwino Fernando.

“We must integrate biodiversity conservation into the mining project cycle,” he said.

He said doing so is essential in helping restore, possibly to near-original condition, mining-affected forests in the country.

Integrating conservation into the mining project cycle will also help save biodiversity in mining areas, he continued.

“Studies show biodiversity there includes several plant species collectively known as ‘metallophytes’ capable of tolerating metal toxicity in the country’s mining areas,” he said, highlighting need for conservation efforts.

Also present in Philippine mining areas are hyperaccumulators which are plants that absorb metal elements present in the ground there, he said further.

Among such species is the plant with scientific name Rinorea niccolifera found in Luzon, he noted.

“That plant can absorb nickel in very high amounts,” he said.

He said metal hyperaccumulators worldwide account for a mere 0.2 percent of all flowering plants on Earth so it’s essential to conserve these and other species.

Removal of vegetation is among mining’s adverse impacts on biodiversity, however, altering availability of food and shelter for wildlife.

Experts said mining may also affect biodiversity by changing species’ composition and structure.

Several exploratory and mining concessions overlap with Philippine protected areas and locations of high ecological vulnerability, they noted.

The environment department’s audit of mining companies nationwide cited environmental degradation as among ills of irresponsible mineral extraction in the country.

Dr. Fernando urged mining companies to provide the budget, professional staff, equipment and infrastructure needed for respective forest restoration and biodiversity units.

“A mining company must treat such unit as equally important as its other units covering mineral ore production, mine safety, social development, and other mining concerns,” he said.

Various biodiversity conservation efforts can be done throughout the mining project cycle, he noted further. (PNA)