4.4 Terrestrial Communities
Drought may also allow this community type to expand into adjacent forests, though this expansion is likely to be limited by soil conditions. An increase in hurricanes or other severe storms may increase the wind damage in forests that creates canopy openings which often favors herbaceous growth. Some of the changes associated with climate change may shift them more toward more natural composition, and may even allow these communities to expand into adjacent forests. 4.4.5.4 Climate Change Compared to Other Threats Comparing climate change to other ecosystem threats can help defne short- and long-term conservation actions and recommendations. Climate change is not expected to be a major threat for these communities. Development, logging, habitat fragmentation, and changes caused by fre suppression are the most severe threats. In some areas, excessive deer browse is also a major threat. Climate change appears less of a threat. Table 4.30 summa- rizes the comparison of climate change with other existing threats. 4.4.5.5 Impacts to Wildlife Appendix G provides a list of SGCN and other priority species for which there are knowl- edge gaps and management concerns. Appendix H identifes SGCN that depend on or are associated with this habitat type.
T ABLE 4.30 Comparison of climate change with other threats to mafc glades and barrens
Rank Order Comments
Threat
Development
1 Warmer winters and more hot spells may fuel increasing desire for housing devel- opment at the higher elevations where these communities occur. Development may not directly impact these communities, but may increase access and therefore trampling. Development of adjacent landscapes is likely to introduce pollution and sediment through stormwater runof. Tere may also be increased opportunity for invasive species to disperse into this habitat. 2 Land ownership patterns, proximity to markets, accessibility, and other fac- tors infuence short-term habitat alterations like forestry operations. Full scale high-grading and poor logging practices will have very negative impacts on the structure and composition of adjacent forests. 3 Fire suppression has shifted these communities toward denser vegetation and more mesophytic plant composition than would naturally occur, making them more susceptible to climate change. Burning would increase their resilience to warmer climate and drought, as well as make them less prone to destruction by wildfre Prescribed burning will have to account for younger canopies whose trees may be more susceptible to fre than in the past. 4 Mafc glades and barrens may actually beneft from a changed climate, at least among the Piedmont examples. Tis beneft will only be realized if sites are pro- tected from other forms of destruction, and for most, if fre is restored to them.
Logging/ Exploitation
Fire
Climate Change
411
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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