4.2 Aquatic Communities
Warmwater habitats are important for a number of reptiles and amphibians including cer- tain turtles, frogs, and salamanders that utilize aquatic habitats during part or all of their life cycle. Tese habitats are also important for a variety of mammals that are semi-aquatic and/or that have an aquatic food base (e.g., Water Shrews, Muskrats, Beavers, River Otters, and certain bats). Selected bird species also rely upon aquatic habitats including rivers and streams to provide habitat or a food base; these include various waterfowl, wading birds, and certain songbirds. 4.2.5.6 Recommendations It is important to preserve the connectivity of warmwater systems because they provide a link to cool and coldwater systems that will become refugia as water temperature gradients change and previously cool waters become persistently warmer. As water temperatures change, many species may not be able to migrate into waters with appropriate tempera- tures if there are barriers to movement or habitats are fragmented so that warmwater habi- tats are interspersed amongst habitats that do not meet thermal requirements. Section 4.2.2 provides recommendations appropriate for all aquatic communities, statewide. Actions specifc to the river basins that contain warmwater streams are provided in Section 4.5. Surveys. Distributional and status surveys are needed for aquatic snails, crayfsh, mussels, and fsh (in order of general need). • Conduct surveys to detect presence and collect life history and abundance data for freshwater snails and crayfsh, as there is limited information available on these species. Monitoring. Monitoring of aquatic taxa is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Long-term moni- toring is needed to identify population trends and to assess performance of conservation actions. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. 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. Research must also be conducted to determine vul- nerability of priority species to specifc threats, and studies should provide recommenda- tions for mitigation and restoration. Aquatic species propagation is an area of current and ongoing research. Developing techniques for propagation of aquatic species is critical for preserving those species and their genetic stock, particularly those that are rare, at high risk of extinction or extirpation, and difcult to propagate in a laboratory setting.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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