Herpetofauna affectation study before and after a construction disturbance: Biodiversity observations, Aguada Pichana Este, Añelo, Neuquén, Argentina – 2022/2023/2024 – TotalEnergies E&P Austral B.V.

Study Extent

The surveys were made before and after the constructions, which were done only in the environmental unit Bajada Aluvial (BA), that´s why the surveys are limited to that area.

Sampling

The sampling was made via observation across 16 transects, each one 1000 m long and 100 m wide. The transects were distributed near to the constructions. 3 control transects that were apart from the constructions were also surveyed in order to compare the abundance and diversity of herpetofauna before and after the constructions with the abundance and diversity in areas which have not been affected by constructions. The transects is this case are identified in every sampling event, by the code in the Location ID column, though all of them begin with APE-BA, which are both the site and the environmental unit abbreviations respectively and then the transect number. e.g: APE-BA-12

Quality Control

The control transects have similar geological and environmental characteristic to the ones near the constructions.

Method steps

1. The surveys were made chronologically, beginning before the constructions started, and then repeated 2 months post the constructions and systematically every 6 months to track the changes in the composition of the herpetofauna composition.

1. Chordata
   rank: phylum
2. Reptilia
   rank: class
3. Teiidae
   rank: family
4. Liolaemidae
   rank: family
5. Squamata
   rank: order
6. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
7. Leiosauridae
   rank: family

The area in which the survey has been developed is an operational site of the oil and gas company Total Austral. In this case in a particular area within the site called Bajada Aluvial (BA) (lowland flood plain).