3.7 Mammals
public and private partners to respond rapidly and efectively to bat conservation crises, to prevent the extinction of threatened bats and the extirpation of globally signifcant popu- lations of bats. For example, conservation strategies developed by Lacki and Bayless (2014) for Rafnesque’s Big-eared Bat and Southeastern Bat are available through BCI’s website. Online resources for bat conservation also can be found at www.batcon.org. Information on the ecology of mammals in the South and habitat management tech- niques to promote conservation can be found in “Te Land Manager’s Guide to Mammals of the South,” a publication developed through collaboration between US Department of Agriculture and Te Nature Conservancy (Trani et al. 2007) .
3.7.8 Recommendations
In general, protection and restoration of natural community composition and function and protection of surrounding natural areas under current conditions are the best ways to ensure that suitable habitats are available for these species. Measures that protect a large and diverse pool of populations are best for ensuring that species are able to survive future stresses and adapt to changing climate conditions. Surveys. Distributional and status surveys need to focus on species believed to be declin- ing or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive natural communities. • Prioritize surveys of bats species impacted by WNS: Big Brown Bat, Eastern Small-footed Bat, Gray Bat, Little Brown Bat, Northern Long-eared Bat, Tricolored Bat, and Indiana Bat.
• Prioritize surveys for Southern Appalachian, Allegheny, and Eastern woodrats.
• Prioritize surveys for the Appalachian Cottontail to determine the current distribution and abundance of the population in NC. Monitoring. Monitoring is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health over time and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Studies should include identif- cation of population trends, as well as assessment of impacts from conservation or devel- opment activities. Tese eforts will inform species and habitat management decisions. Long-term monitoring sites need to be identifed and monitoring protocols developed for all priority species. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. • Continue monitoring bat populations in the mountains with roost, hibernacula, and ANABAT (ANABAT Detection System) surveys. Eforts to bring these monitoring pro- grams to the rest of the state should be expanded.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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