4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
4.3.6.6 Recommendations Priority to increase resilience in these systems should be placed on protecting areas that will be likely to persist or migrate, blocking ditches that are now allowing saltwater into freshwater wetlands, and controlling Common Reed in these areas. While many exist- ing marshes are likely to be lost, there is a need to protect the examples that will be the seed sources for newly developing marshes. Tere is also a need to protect the areas that will become tidal freshwater marshes as sea level rises. Most of these are likely tidal cypress-gum swamps at present. Tidal cypress-gum swamps with mature cypress trees in them may lead to marshes with a tree component that will improve their resistance to erosion. Tere is a corresponding need to protect sites that will become tidal cypress-gum swamps in the future. Because most of the dominant trees are the same and can persist in the transition to tidal conditions, protecting mature nonriverine swamp forest and brownwa- ter or blackwater cypress-gum swamp areas will allow more rapid development of tidal cypress-gum swamps. Surveys. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on SGCN believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive natural communities. Monitoring. Monitoring is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Tese eforts will inform future decisions on how to manage species and their habitats. Long-term monitoring is needed to identify population trends and to assess performance of conservation actions. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. • Begin long-term monitoring, following survey data, for all marshbirds, mammals, and reptiles in this habitat type. Research. Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genet- ics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Research must also be conducted to determine vulnerability of SGCN and other priority species to specifc threats and studies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. • Investigate how reduction in freshwater marsh and increases in higher salinity areas afect alligators. • Conduct research on fre management in marsh habitats to determine optimal fre- quency, timing, and fring techniques (e.g., fanking fre, back fre) to beneft priority birds.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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