4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
• Conduct surveys to document the distribution, relative abundance, and status of wild- life species associated with brownwater foodplain forest habitats. Priorities include Swallow-tailed Kite, Cerulean Warbler, Wood Stork, bats, and species believed to be declining, at risk, or mainly dependent on foodplain forest communities. • Give secondary priority to surveys of species for which current distribution information is already available or for species that are considered common. Monitoring. Long-term monitoring is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health over time and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Tese eforts will inform future decisions on how to manage species and their habitats. Studies should include identifcation of population trends, as well as assessment of impacts from conserva- tion or development activities. Long-term monitoring sites need to be identifed and moni- toring protocols developed for all priority species. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. • Expand and/or target monitoring systems to be able to assess current population status and trend information for all wildlife species associated with foodplain forest habitats. 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. Increased understanding of life histories and status helps determine the vulnerability of priority species to further imperilment, in addition to identifying possibilities for improved management and conservation. All stud- ies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. Formal descriptions for known or putative undescribed species and investigations aimed at resolving taxo- nomic status are needed. • Ensure that research studies targeting birds are long-term, large-scale, replicated stud- ies that have controlled experimental approaches and focus on population demograph- ics and the response of species to habitat manipulations where appropriate (as outlined by the National Partners in Flight Research working group) (Donovan et al. 2002; NCWRC 2005) . Similar research priorities are needed for other foodplain forest taxa including bats, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. 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.
• Make eforts to retain old growth foodplain forest (for Chimney Swifts, bats, and herpetofauna).
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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