4.4 Terrestrial Communities
be rising sea level and an increase in storms. Table 4.40 summarizes the comparison of climate change with other existing threats.
4.4.15.5 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. A genetic study of the Crystal Skipper ( Atrytonopsis n. sp. 1) indicated that its population is subdivided into three distinct groups, one at Fort Macon and nearby dredged-material island, one at Emerald Isle, and one at Bear Island. Tese fndings indicate that dispersal may .be fairly infrequent across ocean inlets as well as wide strips of maritime forest and development. Te Seaside Dusted Skipper is one of the rarest species in the state. Even if it turns out to be an isolated population of the Loammi Skipper, that species is also highly threatened and currently only known to exist in Florida. Te Fort Macon population of a moth ( Faronta aleada ) in the Noctuidae family appears to be associated with the same habitat as the Crystal Skipper, but not necessarily Seaside Little Bluestem. Sea level rise may have an efect through increased fragmentation of the restricted range of these spe- cies. However, the sites they occupy are among the most stable in this type of habitat and likely to persist. Te beach/dune habitat is particularly important to sea turtles, beach-nesting birds, and shorebirds. Many of the bird species rely on the dynamic nature of the beach, and need storms to recreate wide beaches with bare sand and shell overwash areas. Te swash zone (the area between high and low tide) is particularly important to beach invertebrates which
T ABLE 4.40 Comparison of climate change with other threats to maritime grasslands
Rank Order
Threat
Comments
Development
1 Ongoing development, including artifcial foredune buildup, is the most severe threat to the remaining unprotected examples. Beach houses, motels, and other structures, and the infrastructure that supports them, have caused a sig- nifcant stabilization efect on the beaches that will be very difcult to reverse. 1 Sea level rise and increased storm intensity associated with climate change are the most severe threats to the conservation areas where most of the remaining maritime grasslands occur. 2 Feral populations of horses have been documented to have a severe efect on maritime herbaceous communities (Porter et al. 2014) and particularly on popu- lations of Seaside Little Bluestem. Beach Vitex is the only invasive plant species that is a severe threat at present. Its abundance is limited, and control should be feasible with efort. Additional exotic species are likely to appear with a warmer climate.
Climate Change
Invasive Species
469
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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