I think you have to build up a link in between mining activity and its impact on biodiversity. You can have a correlation in between these 2 variables.

I think sound knowledge of identification of the species (fauna & flora) is of utmost important.

The comparison of biodiversity before and after mining can help to understand the aspect you have considered.

Some previous studies OR records of biodiversity can also be used for comparison.

This comes within the purview of EIA. The identification of the different species of flora and fauna is important and also the impact of mining on threatened species. You will have to show ways of mitigating the threats due to mining on the biodiversity of the area, particularly the threatened species. This has to be done before starting of the mining. You can study the after effect by comparing assessment of biodiversity made prior to mining and after a few years from the starting of the process.

Ecological Risk Assessment determines the risk posed by a stressor (contaminant or perceived threat) to the survival and health of an ecosystem. You can calculate biodiversity using species richness and diversity i.e. the total number of organisms present (species richness) or a measure that accounts for both richness and proportion (percent) of each species (e.g. using Simpson's Index). Then you need to monitor the effect of mining by repeating your measurements at appropriate intervals :)

Thanks to all for your answer.

I would be very grateful if someone could recommend a software for correlation biodiversity vs. enviromental factors (water and air) or for make historical trends for biodiversity.

The environmental impact of mining includes erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes.

Prior knowledge of biodiversity elements is very crucial to understand the impact of mining in a particular area. Within a short period of time(2-5 years) assessment criteria will be to understand or assess decrease of population density of a particular elements, change in plant community structure, disappearance of sensitive species (rare, endangered, threatened) and introduction of invasive species.

This publication could be useful.

Hi Jorge

The analysis of impacts is not removed from basic ecological analysis.

Do you have pre-mining data (i.e., baseline information)?

Can you access climatic/weather pattern data for the period?

Do you have data related to changes in vegetation cover, rehabilitation, and other aspects of mine impacts?

You need to be able to build a picture of what was there and what is there now and taking into account other extraneous factors (i.e., non-mine related impacts such as drought, floods, fire, unusual extreme conditions, etc).

Richness and diversity data are useful. It is all in the interpretation and one of the most common mistakes is ascribing mining impacts rather than natural variation.

There are numerous reports of EIA from around the world. I would suggest you search for reports on-line (e.g. try this as an example of strategic impact assessment - http://tinyurl.com/y9am5nao).

Hello, my suggestion is to separate this into time (3) and type level (fauna and flora) levels. In the end, evaluate the facets of diversity through the numbers of Hill (1973); Chao et al., (2014).

For aquatic biodiversity you could use amount of various heavy metals etc and their toxicity; best data is by Canadian and especially British Colubia environment agencies, some by USA EPA. For that you do need background data, if for example there is naturally high concentrations in soil and waters.

If you do not have data of bd before the mining, try to find comparable pristine areas. Also analysis based on distance of the source, mine, could be usefull. How the effects change with distance, and of course with concentration of contaminants.

For terrestrial biota it would be much more difficult.

Many good answers provided. whatever you do, consider also indirect impacts (e.g, not only mining site, but even road construction for trucks and settlement for workers); set a buffer of impact around the site. Secundarily, baseline should assess the presence of biodiversity (e.g; shannon index or other), but also WHAT is there, since of course not all the species are the same, as an example in terms of IUCN category. Many international protocols set the definition of critic habitat according to hosted species. Sometimes the presence of an endangered species is enough to determine the presence of a large critic habitat, through proper models of presence .

As already said there is first need of baseline information of area before mining along with edaho climatic information. then you can compare taking number of variables specially the threatened species data as indicator as well as species richness.

This book can be useful:

Tibbett M. (ed.). 2015. Mining in Ecologically Sensitive Landscapes. CSIRO - CRC, 275 pp.

new ed. in press (2018), Scitus Academics

You need a baseline data for the last five years.You are supposed to know the endemic,endangered ,Invasive plants ,any such is there in the past.By laying quadrats for shrubs /herbs and Line transect/Belt transect for trees,one can come know the present composition.Then you can compare with the present with past flora.You may able to draw some conclusions.