4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
Worm-eating Warbler uses this habitat type heavily and is isolated from other populations that breed in the Mountains of North Carolina.
Even more likely to become extirpated is the sole population of Wood Frogs known to occur in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Tis population exists on the Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula in the vicinity of hardwoods near Scranton and likely represents a relic from the Pleistocene epoch, as do several other animals and plants recorded in this area (e.g., cran- berry, Sundew moth, undescribed shrew). Te reasons for its restricted range in this area are unknown, but it may not be able to migrate inland to keep pace with sea level rise. Nonriverine mineral wetlands are the primary habitat for the Red Wolf in the state, with most individuals being present at Alligator River and Pocosin Lakes refuges. Other large mammals also utilize these habitats, such as Black Bear, Bobcat, and White-tailed Deer. Other terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates associated with this ecosystem group occupy other types of habitat, including foodplain forests and peatlands, and are more likely to survive impacts associated with climate change. Two species of Canebrake Moths, however, are endemic to the North Carolina Coastal Plain and the portion of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia: Lascopia roblei and the still-undescribed Apameine , new genus 2, species 3. Some of their largest known populations are associated with non-riverine habitats, the loss of which would be signifcant, if not as damaging as for Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler. 4.3.7.6 Recommendations Recommendations are to restore or maintain hydrology, protect remaining Coastal Plain nonalluvial mineral wetlands, and control invasive species in these areas to intervene against climate change efects. Te maintenance of contiguous gradients between wetland and adjacent upland sites is critical for seasonal migration and dispersal of herpetofauna. Site protection and protection of surrounding areas through land acquisition or easements and cooperation with land trusts are urgently needed, as large acreages (>500 acres) are frequently clearcut all at once for agriculture, pine conversion, or development. Regional land trusts and Te Nature Conservancy can be valuable partners in these eforts. Identifed funding sources for acquisition include the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Coastal Wetlands Grants, Natural Heritage Trust Fund, Forest Legacy Grants, and Recovery Land Acquisition Grants. Restoration eforts may be possible in some cases through partnerships with land trusts, the Nature Conservancy, and state and federal agencies. Te use of fre at the remaining unconverted nonalluvial mineral wetland sites is the single most important factor to restore these sites. Plowed frelines along transition zones
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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