4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
between habitats should be rehabilitated (smoothed over) where possible. If feasible, fres should be allowed to sweep through the habitat or at least into the edges of the wetland from the adjacent upland sites. New frelines should be constructed when necessary. Tese areas should be maintained as a permanent narrow opening by discing with a tractor or by wetting with water or foam prior to a burn. Te maintenance of contiguous gradients between wetland and adjacent upland sites is critical for seasonal migration and dispersal of herpetofauna. Roads, agriculture, or for- estry operations between complimentary sites may still render them inefective at support- ing amphibian and reptile populations. Where fre cannot be introduced back into the site for smoke management or other reasons, the use of a hydro-ax or other chipping machin- ery should be considered to control midstory (where funds allow). Surveys. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on spe- cies believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive communities: • Determine the status of Yellow-crowned Night-heron, other colonial nesting birds, Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler, as well as other neotropical migrants that are not well sampled by BBS. • Document the status and distribution of priority bat species (e.g. Rafnesque’s Big-eared Bat, Northern Yellow Bat, Seminole Bat, Southeastern Bat, and Northern Long-eared Bat) in this habitat.
• Conduct Eastern Woodrat surveys and subsequently establish standardized long-term monitoring of the species in this habitat.
• Determine the status and distribution of Timber (Canebrake) and Pigmy rattlesnakes.
• Survey for other SGCN and high priority species, especially snakes and lizards.
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: • Establish long-term monitoring for neotropical migrants that are not well tracked by BBS 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
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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