4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
• Continue long-term monitoring of active Bald Eagle territories, successful breeding pairs, and fedged eagles.
• Develop monitoring for any North Carolina foodplain forest bird species that require specialized attention, since neither BBS nor standard point counts can adequately sample irregularly distributed or clumped species like Kentucky, Cerulean, and Swainson’s warblers. • Develope or enhance long-term monitoring for amphibians and reptiles (Taylor and Jones 2002) .
• Develop or enhance long-term monitoring for most bat species (Ellis et al. 2002) .
• Conduct long-term monitoring for foodplain forest birds (breeding, migration, and winter periods) in forest patches of varying size (Robbins et al. 1989; Doherty and Grubb 2000) .
• Establish long-term monitoring for herpetofauna using foodplain forest habitat (espe- cially breeding salamanders and snakes).
• Examine demographics and habitat use of bats in foodplain forests; there is also a need to identify, monitor, and maintain (or recruit) key bat habitats and microhabitats in foodplain forests (Ellis et al. 2002) . 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) . Similar research priorities are needed for other foodplain forest taxa including bats, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
• Research the genetic makeup of the coastal population of the Black-throated Green Warbler.
• Research the genetic relationships among foodplain salamanders.
343
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online