4.2 Aquatic Communities
and surface waters that provide aquatic habitats. All groundwaters need to be protected because contamination can cause water quality problems not only in these sysetms, but also to other waters connected to them and ultimately create long-term negative impacts to aquatic species. Section 4.2.2 provides recommendations appropriate for all aquatic com- munities, statewide.
Surveys. Distributional and status surveys are necessary for species that utilize these waters, especially for invertebrates.
Monitoring. Monitoring ecosystem health helps develop an understanding about its resil- ience to a changing climate. Monitoring eforts inform future decisions on how to manage and safe-guard the system. Long-term monitoring is needed to identify 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 genet- ics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Research must also be conducted to determine vulnerability to specifc threats, such as fracking and groundwater extraction. Recommendations for mitigation and restoration of degraded systems should be included. 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. Partnerships and Cooperative Eforts. Conservation programs, incentives, partnerships should be utilized to the fullest extent to preserve high-quality resources and protect important natural communities. Tis includes protective measures that utilize existing regulatory frameworks to protect habitats and species. When insufcient measures of pro- tection exist, new regulations should be developed.
4.2.7 Headwater Streams/Small Creeks 4.2.7.1 Ecosystem Description
Te headwater stream and small creek community includes intermittent and frst and second order streams and make up the largest proportion of drainage reaches in the landscape (Leopold et al. 1964; Meyer et al. 2007; Gothe et al. 2014) . Te majority of land area in North Carolina (approximately 80%– 85%) drains to headwater streams (Gregory 2009) and consti- tutes at least 80% of the nation’s stream network (Meyer et al. 2003) . Headwater streams are very
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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