4.4 Terrestrial Communities
Habitat loss and lack of fre afects bird species that rely on a grass-dominant under- story and open pine ecosystems (Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman’s Sparrow, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Henslow’s Sparrow, and Northern Bobwhite). Old growth characteristics (canopy gaps, red-heart fungus, cavities, snags, hollow trees) are lacking throughout, except where Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are managed, impacting both pri- mary (e.g., woodpeckers) and secondary (e.g., rodents, bats, and other birds) cavity users. High-grading of stands, lack of gap management, and overstocked stands are leading to a lack of structural diversity for many species. Roads cause particularly high mortality to reptiles and amphibians. Microhabitat features such as large woody debris have been lost, impacting reptiles and small mammals (Loeb 1999) . Localized and non-lethal infestations can be benefcial for wildlife by creating snags, a food source, and habitat diversity. Extensive lethal outbreaks of native and exotic pests can dramatically shift the composition of the tree community, with implications for conifer-specialists like the Brown-headed Nuthatch. Wildfres in drought are more likely to be too intense or too extensive, and may harm some species. In small, isolated sites, an increase in wildfres may have catastrophic impacts on insects and other animals that depend on a metapopulation strategy for coping with environmental disturbances. For such species, lack of landscape connectivity can prevent restoration of populations through recolonization from unburned refuges. As a result, there may be a signifcant increase in local extirpations that may eventually lead to region-wide extirpations or even extinction of certain species. To protect sensitive insect populations, prescribed burns should include setting aside unburned refugias in every burn and prefer- ably following a three year burn rotation among three diferent burn units. Mild winters, with decreased cold damage, are likely to allow species from the south to move into North Carolina. In recent years, several Longleaf Pine-associated insects once thought to be restricted to Florida or the Gulf Coast have been found to be established in North Carolina. Although we lack the historic data to know for sure that these represent recent colonizations, this trend will undoubtedly accelerate with decreasingly cold winters. Fire Ant impacts are also a growing threat. 4.4.13.6 Recommendations Because so few examples remain, at least outside of the Sandhills ecoregion, protecting and expanding remaining examples is crucial with or without climate change. Because these systems are likely to withstand the stresses of changing climate well, restoring more of them in the near future would produce more resilient natural landscapes. Protecting and restoring landscape connections is important to allow movements of mobile species and to improve the viability of small populations. Te need for this is particularly important for
458
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online