Appendix Q
Addendum 1
1. INTRODUCTION
Background on the NC Wildlife Action Plan
The 2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan (NCWAP, Plan) identifies fish and wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and other species for which there are research or management priorities. The Plan describes 40 types of aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial natural communities that provide important habitat for SGCN and other priority species. Information on the stat e’s 17 river basins is also provided. The NCWAP matches SGCN to the habitat type or river basin where it is found, identifies the most important threats and critical problems facing the species and their habitats, and details
priority conservation actions required to protect and conserve them. The primary goal of the NCWAP is to strategically target declining populations and imperiled animals and their required habitats early, thereby reducing the risk of extinction and precluding the need for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The Plan can be downloaded at the NCWAP website www.ncwildlife.org/plan. A discussion about conservation actions that will benefit species requires consideration of the natural communities that provide the habitats they occupy. The concept of “ habitat ” is based on the availability of the appropriate combination of food, cover, and water resources, climatic conditions, and other environmental conditions (e.g., competitors, predators, connectivity) that supports the ability of a species to survive and reproduce. Therefore, “ habitats ” can be defined as the sum of all the resources a species needs to survive and persist. Efforts that benefit SGCN and other priority fish and wildlife can be specifically targeted by carefully considering conservation or management options within essential habitats. Landscape composition varies across North Carolina, with elevation, moisture and temperature gradients, and soil textures having a significant influence on natural community structure. Given the complexities of natural communities and the variability of the organisms associated with them, local and regional landscape-scale approaches are used more often than species-specific approaches to accomplish conservation. Landscapes that are composed of multiple natural community types are more likely to contain the necessary resources to provide
1 of 2 7
2020 Addendum NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online