4.2 Aquatic Communities
fow regime, sediment transport, and overall channel design. Te current pattern of rifes, runs, and pools may be altered, creating changes in aquatic species’ habitats. Increased storm intensity may cause increased erosion with large amounts of sediment that move downstream, which can then deposit into pools or bury rifes. Additionally, storms may cause the felling of riparian trees, particularly in areas with narrow riparian areas. Increased woody debris in these streams will also change channel hydrodynamics as well as available habitat. Determining how or if species adapt to changing habitats will require close monitoring to observe trends and to help inform future management decisions (Bakke 2008) . 4.2.9.4 Climate Change Compared to Other Threats Comparing climate change to other ecosystem threats can help defne short- and long-term conservation actions and recommendations. In the past, aquatic systems have been under threat from a variety of perturbations and many of those continue today. Conversion of land, both from forest to agriculture or silviculture, as well as from development projects, continues to threaten stream integrity resulting in increased sediment, bank erosion, and stormwater runof containing sediment and other potentially toxic materials. Considering current conditions in these systems, climate change is likely to have a synergistic efect with other threats that are of more immediate concern. Table 4.10 provides a review of expected climate change impacts in order of importance in comparison with other types of threats. 4.2.9.5 Impacts to Wildlife Appendix G includes a list of SGCN and other priority species for which there are knowl- edge gap and management concern priorities. Appendix H identifes SGCN that use medium river communities. Te temperature tolerance range of aquatic species can be specifc and the availability of warm waters that do not exceed tolerances can be a limiting factor for where species can fnd appropriate habitat, especially as average water temperatures experience warming trends (DeWan et al. 2010) . Warmwater habitats are important for a number of reptiles and amphibians including certain turtles, frogs, and salamanders that utilize aquatic habi- tats 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, such as various waterfowl, wading birds, and certain songbirds, also rely upon aquatic habitats (including rivers and streams) to provide habitat or a food base.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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