Final answer:
The stage of mining associated with large-scale land disturbance, pollution, and biodiversity loss is most likely the Mining and Ore Extraction stage.
Step-by-step explanation:
To address which stage of mining the specified impacts are most likely to be associated with, we should first identify the nature of the impacts. Mining and its various stages have distinct environmental and social impacts:
- Exploration and Site Selection generally involves minor physical disturbance, and is more about data collection and analysis.
- Mining and Ore Extraction can cause significant land disturbance, pollution, and biodiversity loss due to the removal of large amounts of earth and the use of chemicals.
- Processing and Beneficiation includes crushing, grinding, and chemical treatments which can lead to water and air pollution if not managed correctly.
- Closure and Reclamation are aimed at mitigating long-term impacts and restoring the environment.
Therefore, if the impacts in question include large-scale land disturbances, pollution, and biodiversity loss, they would most likely be associated with b) Mining and Ore Extraction.