4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
• Ensure foodplain bufers of 300 to 600 feet in as many areas as possible. Tis would beneft foodplain forest species such as the Northern Parula, Swallowtailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Prothonotary Warbler, Wood Trush, Swainson’s and Cerulean war- blers, and Acadian Flycatcher, as well as amphibians, Timber Rattlesnakes, and forest bats. • Restore natural hydrology where dams have altered hydrology, such as on the Roanoke River.
• Work with partners to institute more natural water release regimes from dams.
Conservation Programs and Partnerships. Conservation programs, incentives, and partnerships should be utilized to the fullest extent to preserve high-quality resources and protect important natural communities. Protective measures that utilize existing regula- tory frameworks to protect habitats and species should be incorporated where applicable. Land conservation or preservation can serve numerous purposes in the face of anticipated climate change, but above all, it promotes ecosystem resilience. • Pursue land acquisition and easements through cooperation with land trusts with an efort to increase the width of riparian bufers and create larger patches of connected habitat. Priority should be given to brownwater bottomlands, as these are the most species-rich and are more susceptible to clearcutting and other timber harvest than cypress-gum swamps (i.e., wetter sites) (NCWRC 2005) . • Wherever possible, maintenance or restoration of foodplain forest connectivity should be pursued; foodplain forest are important distribution and dispersal corridors for many species (Bailey et al. 2004 in NCWRC 2005).
4.3.5 Floodplains—Inland Systems 4.3.5.1 Ecosystem Description
For this natural community description, Inland Floodplains are forested communities associated with freshwater systems of various conditions and sizes and are located primar- ily in the Mountain, Piedmont, and Sandhills ecoregions. Depending on landscape posi- tion and soil moisture gradients, some of the wetland communities described in Section 4.3 may also be part of the inland foodplain community; however, in this description, food- plain forests are considered the dominant community type. For this natural community description, inland foodplains are forested communities associated with freshwater sys- tems of various conditions and sizes and are located primarily in the Mountain, Piedmont, and Sandhills ecoregions.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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