4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
Sandhill streamheads. Tese species occur in other types of habitat and are not as confned to the Sandhills ecoregion. Pocosin habitats are important for a variety of shrub-scrub birds, though we lack status and distribution data (Karriker 1993) . Red-cockaded Woodpeckers exist in some of these pond pine-dominated sites where suitable habitat also occurs in the uplands. A study by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) in the Sandhills demonstrated a high territory density of shrub-nesting birds in fre-managed streamhead pocosin, including the Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Tis same study found a relatively high density of cavity nesters such as the Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Carolina Wren. Loss of this fre-maintained hab- itat has caused fragmentation of Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat across the landscape. Fire-suppressed streamhead pocosins supported signifcantly lower densities of nine bird species but had higher numbers of Carolina Chickadees, Hooded Warblers, and Red-eye Vireos. 4.3.8.6 Recommendations Tough extensive amounts of pocosin lands are already protected, some specialized types require more protection, such as Carolina bays (Bladen Lakes area) and white cedar stands. Land managers and planners need to address management issues related to pocosin hab- itats in their conservation and land-use planning eforts. Tey should also work to under- stand what the public wants and is willing to accept regarding the management of pocosin habitats and the wildlife associated with these habitats (Tompson and DeGraaf 2001 in NCWRC 2005) . Protecting additional inland examples will help mitigate the loss of those that lie near sea level. Te most important management needed for these systems is restoration of fre, which will over time reverse the alteration in natural composition and structure. While of general eco- logical beneft, burning will also reduce the risk of uncontrollable or damaging wildfres during droughts caused by climate change, and the more robust natural vegetation will be better able to withstand all kinds of climate-related stress. Surveys. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on spe- cies believed to be declining, at risk, or mainly dependent on pocosin communities. • Determine status and distribution for Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler, Worm-eating warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo (may warrant further documentation), and other neotropical migrants. 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
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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