Chapter 3 Species
Addendum 2
Populations that have not been inventoried in more than 30 years (on average) are considered “historical”. Where species occur in rapidly developing urban areas, species may be considered “historical” if they have not been observed in greater than 20 years. This difference is due to the likelihood of local extirpation caused by habitat conversion. The NCNHP and partners obtain permission from landowners before conducting any biological inventories on private land. In many areas, staff biologists recognize the high likelihood of rare species or natural community occurrences on private land where they are unable to obtain survey permission, these areas represent knowledge gaps in the dataset (data deficiencies).
3.15.5 Threats and Problems
The threat assessment tool used to develop the plant SGCN list helps to assess the conservation needs of an individual species, and also identifies the greatest threats across all the reviewed species. The PCP has identified the following as the top threats to rare plants in North Carolina: natural system modifications (i.e., incompatible land management and hydrological alterations), residential and commercial development (i.e., habitat loss), invasive and other problematic species and genes, and stochasticity. Apart from stochasticity, these threats are defined in Salafsky et al. (2008). The most important threats relate to habitat loss and habitat degradation. This is not surprising considering the stationary nature of plants, especially relative to most other taxonomic groups. Not surprisingly, these threats are particularly impactful in North Carolina given the state’s long history with agriculture and other land-use intensive industries, as well as its recent and ongoing rapid development and growth. By fragmenting landscapes and damaging natural communities and natural processes, natural areas that are not directly disturbed can face secondary or indirect impacts from nearby habitat losses. Further, habitat fragmentation can disrupt or diminish the connectivity between remaining habitats which can cause populations to be isolated, leading to genetic diversity losses. Additional noteworthy threats identified for plants in our state include trampling and disturbance caused by recreation activities. Related to this threat are over-collection and exploitation which is an uncommon but a very impactful threat where it occurs. Another concern is climate change and related extreme weather events (e.g., drought, wind damage, flooding, excessive heat, and seasonal norm variations). Importantly, the worst threats that plants are facing are not easily mitigated by rules or regulations. Instead, habitat conservation, habitat restoration, and population level management are the most important strategies for mitigating threats to plants.
2022 Addendum 2 NC Wildlife Action Plan
3A2- 5
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