4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
adversely afected by increases in overbank foods that carry fsh into their breeding sites. Tese impacts may be ofset to some extent, however, by increases in the number of wind- throw pits resulting from heavier storm damage.
4.3.9.6 Recommendations Tese communities are isolated and contrast strongly with the surrounding uplands. Tey will be unable to migrate. Te most important actions needed for these communities are to protect unprotected examples and to protect or restore the surrounding uplands for as many of these wetland communities as possible. As more examples are lost, the remaining ones will become increasingly important for the survival of amphibian populations. Seasonal wetlands must have sufcient surrounding habitat to support the life history requirements of amphibian and reptile populations. It is particularly important to pro- tect the larger and wetter examples, which are more likely to persist in drier conditions. With more extreme weather, species populations in individual basins may become less stable and more dependent on metapopulation dynamics for their long-term survival. Where they can be protected or established, connections between examples will become even more important than at present. Surveys. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on species believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive natural communities. • Investigate the status and distribution of species associated with Piedmont wetland habitats (e.g., Tree-lined Salamander, Common Ribbonsnake).
• Survey for all amphibian species associated with small wetland 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. • Determine population trends and persistence of small wetland breeding amphib- ian populations, particularly Mole Salamander, Eastern Tiger Salamander, Dwarf Salamander, and Four-toed Salamander.
• Monitor amphibian populations to detect incidence of fungal and viral infections (e.g., iridoviruses, chytridiomycosis).
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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