4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
bogs and wetlands in general has been and continues to be the conversion of these habitats to other land uses. Table 4.15 summarizes the comparison of climate change with other existing threats.
4.3.1.5 Impacts to Wildlife Appendix G provides a list of SGCN and other priority species for which there are knowl- edge gaps and management concerns. Appendix H identifes SGCN that depend on or are associated with this habitat type.
T ABLE 4.15 Comparison of climate change with other threats to mountain bogs and fens
Rank Order Comments
Threat
Development
1 Signifcant amounts of mountain bog habitat have been destroyed by develop- ment (roads, housing, or other development). Ongoing residential and commer- cial development and conversion to pasture or agriculture continues to destroy or degrade examples, through direct and indirect efects. Conservation of riparian bufers will beneft these communities as well as aquatic communities of the streams. 1 Mountain bog habitat has been converted to other uses, primarily through draining, flling, or impoundment. Protection of upland bufers around bogs, to reduce the impact of runof, is also important. 2 Droughts in the present climate appear to have exacerbated the ongoing inva- sion of upland and generalist wetland plants in some bogs. Protected examples are subject to ecological problems such as invasion by woody plants or by exotic species. 2 Caused by hydrological alteration that includes loss of ground water input or entrenchment/channelization of streams that lowers water tables. Drainage, water diversion, and ground water depletion make these wetlands more vulner- able to drought and increased temperatures than they would otherwise be. 3 Many bogs are located in bottomland locations that do not regularly food but which would food in extreme events. Damaging foods, scouring, and nutrient/ sediment input are threats to mountain bogs and fens. 4 Beaver control measures should be considered at sites where potential loss of rare species may occur due to the creation of impoundments or use of certain rare plants as food by the Beavers. Tese measures include use of pond levelers, protective screening of rare plants, or as a last resort, removal of the Beavers. Where extirpation of rare species is not expected, however, development of Beaver pond complexes should be allowed, particularly where it may lead to restoration of higher water tables or clearings that favor the regeneration of wetland herbs and shrubs. 5 Te level of threat posed by climate change is unclear, while the other threats are ongoing and result in more drastic efects. Drought is likely to exacerbate ongoing problems and warmer temperatures may as well.
Conversion to Agriculture/ Silviculture Invasive Species
Groundwater Depletion
Flood Regime Alteration
Impoundments
Climate Change
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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