4.4 Terrestrial Communities
Geomyces destructans (Lorch et al. 2011; Hayes 2012) . Te frst evidence of the disease was docu- mented in 2006 and since then there has been widespread evidence of its impact on bats. WNS has already decimated populations of most cave-dwelling species of bats in the state, especially Northern Long-eared Bat and Little Brown Bat. Chapter 5 provides additional information on disease and pathogens afecting wildlife, including WNS. Nearly a thousand species and subspecies known from caves and associated subterra- nean habitats in the United States have been described (Culver et al. 2000; Christman and Culver 2001) . Various surveys and investigations have been conducted in many caves and mines in attempts to document signifcant wildlife or geological resources in North Carolina. However, no comprehensive evaluation has ever occurred in the state other than for bats in caves. Caves also provide important habitat for cavespiders ( Nesticus spp.), millipedes, crustaceans, pseudoscorpions, and crickets (TNC and SAFC 2000) . Not only is the condition of caves and mines quite variable in North Carolina, but our state of knowledge about the use of caves and mines by plants and animals is extremely variable. Habitat specialists and species with restricted ranges will likely be some of the greatest afected by the combined efects of habitat loss and climate change. Troglobites are cave-dwelling organisms that have adapted to darkness, have no skin pig- ment, and are blind because they spend their entire lives underground. Troglobites include fsh, salamanders, crayfsh, insects, and spiders. Tey cannot live outside a cave and their survival may be threatened if the cave environment is damaged or altered. Te National Speleological Society (NSS) notes that water pollution, visitor trafc, trash, fooding, and a change in air patterns and temperature contribute to disturbing a cave’s fragile food web and ecosystem. One cave complex has been developed as a recreational destination in North Carolina and many other cave or mine systems have experienced some level of human visitation. Many of the wildlife species that use caves, if not the caves themselves, have been impacted by human activities, including both direct impacts (e.g., repeated disturbance during bat hibernation) and indirect impacts (e.g., habitat changes that make microhabitat condi- tions inside the cave or mine unsuitable). Human use of caves can cause alteration of the physical structure of the caves themselves, changes in the water chemistry or hydrology within the cave, or destruction of cave structures and cave-dwelling organisms (Fleury 2009) . Dripwater fows are critical both to cave biota and to the microclimates of the caves them- selves, and if those fows carry surface-level contaminants, the entire cave environment is afected (Fleury 2009) . It is believed many smaller caves and mines have been impacted by nearby development, though there is little to no documentation of the occurrences. Careless disposal of wastes or excessive fertilization in agricultural areas can have devastating impacts on cave life by
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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