4.2 Aquatic Communities
• Expand research, survey, and monitoring eforts beyond collecting presence–absence data, to look at long-term trends across species groups, habitats, and the efects of man- agement actions. Monitoring. Monitoring of aquatic taxa is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Tese eforts will inform future decisions on how to manage aquatic species. Long-term monitoring 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 dynamics. Research must also be conducted to deter- mine vulnerability of priority species to specifc threats and studies to provide recommen- dations 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. • Conduct studies to document the levels of EDCs in wastewater discharges and identify measures that will reduce or eliminate EDCs from wastewater prior to discharge. • Determine the impacts of “snagging” (removing woody debris after storms) on wildlife populations.
• Conduct research to investigate Nutria population densities, population growth rates, dispersal range, and extent of property damage from burrowing and herbivory.
• Determine the efect Beaver ponds have on downstream movement of pollutants (toxins and sediments).
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.
• Seek opportunities to restore canebreak communities through controlled burning or other management strategies.
• Maintain large trees around reservoirs for potential eagle nests, and maintain forest cover in the tailrace below dams for eagle foraging.
264
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online