3.7 Mammals
• Continue monitoring of Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel populations using a variety of survey techniques. Research. Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Increased understanding of life histories and status helps determine the vulnerability of priority species to further imperilment, in addition to identifying possibilities for improved management and conservation. All stud- ies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration.
• Examine winter behavior of bats in the Piedmont.
• Conduct genetic research to understand distributions of the Southern Appalachian and Allegheny Woodrats better to determine where these species occur and if their ranges overlap.
• Test for evidence of hybridization between Southern and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels in North Carolina.
• Study competition and disease transmission in areas of overlap between Southern and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels.
• Test for heavy metals (e.g., bioaccumulation) in Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel.
Management Practices. Management practices that reduce impacts and work synergis- tically with other conservation actions are needed to enhance the resilience of natural resources. Particular needs include preserving biodiversity, protecting native populations and their habitats, and improving degraded habitats.
• Protect bat roosting sites for all priority bat species, particularly those that are known roost sites for species afected by WNS.
• Restore high-elevation forests for Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels.
Conservation Programs and Partnerships. Conservation programs, incentives, and part- nerships should be utilized to the fullest extent to preserve high-quality resources and pro- tect important natural communities. Protection measures that utilize existing regulatory frameworks to protect habitats and species should be incorporated where applicable. Land conservation or preservation serves numerous purposes in the face of anticipated climate change, but most notably, promotes ecosystem resilience.
• Use programs such as the Wildlife Conservation Lands Program to protect, manage, and restore habitat on private lands.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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