4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
Changes in food regimes and rising sea level are the most important climate efects. Climate change efects upstream of the tidal zone are likely to be limited and other existing threats are likely to be more signifcant. Table 4.18 summarizes the comparison of climate change with other existing threats. 4.3.4.5 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 provides a list of the SGCN that depend on or are associated with this habitat type. Te few brownwater foodplains generally occur far apart on the landscape, are not hydro- logically connected, and few have north–south courses, making it difcult for plants and animals confned to brownwater foodplains to move northward as suitable conditions are lost.
T ABLE 4.18 Comparison of climate change with other threats to brownwater foodplains
Rank Order
Threat
Comments
Logging/ Exploitation
1
Tis is the most destructive recent force and may get worse if drought allows more access to currently wetter areas. Floodplains are highly susceptible to fragmentation by sewerlines, gaslines, powerlines, and highways that are constructed within them. Nonnative, exotic, and invasive species can gain a foothold in openings within these corridors.
Utility Corridors/ Fragmentation
1
Climate Change
2 Temperature and rainfall averages are expected to increase. More import- ant will be changes in frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall events, which will afect food regimes. An increase in droughts is also expected. 2 Temperature increases create potential for invasion by exotic species that are already problematic farther south, such as the Chinese Tallow Tree. Invasive exotic species already spreading in these systems, such as Tree-of-heaven, Asian Dayfower, and Japanese Stiltgrass, will continue to spread regardless of the climate, but any increased disturbance by food- ing or wind storms may accelerate it. 2 Alteration of hydrology due to dam creation and the draining of wetlands is one of the primary problems afecting this habitat type. Upstream dams are signifcant on some rivers but not others. Increased drought may lead to demand for more reservoirs upstream and to more water withdrawal and interbasin transfer in all large river systems.
Invasive Species
Flood Regime Alteration
Conversion to Agriculture/ Silviculture
3
Very signifcant in the past but most feasible conversion is already done.
334
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online