4.4 Terrestrial Communities
are used as a food source by fsh and waterbirds. Tese habitats are also well imitated by dredged-material islands within our sounds that are often devoid of the predators that have invaded the barrier beaches. Several of the bird species we are most concerned about require early successional habitat for nesting and these habitats have been destroyed or severely altered. Predators (native and nonnative) have increased many-fold; many of these species (cats, herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls, Raccoons, foxes) were not present before the beach became populated with people and their associated trash. Tese predators have caused signifcant problems for beach-nesting birds and sea turtles. Vehicle use has also created disturbance issues as well as direct impacts to nesting turtles and birds. Chronic human disturbance is becom- ing a problem at many sites. People are now able to access even the most remote beaches via shallow draft boats and personal watercrafts. Direct and indirect disturbance, not only by humans but also by their pets, causes problems for nesting and non-nesting birds. Grazing by feral horses is a signifcant threat to some protected areas, such as Shackleford Banks and the Rachel Carson Preserve and Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Grazing and trampling contribute to loss of dune elevation (Porter et al. 2014) and has severely damaged the maritime grasslands in these sites. Patches of Seaside Little Bluestem, which support some of the rarest insects in the state, are now almost absent outside of artifcial horse exclosures. Wild horses and other large mammals (including domestic dogs) are also gen- erally incompatible with beach-nesting birds. Tese mammals inadvertently step on nests and chicks, and cause colony abandonment by adult birds. Beach renourishment and beach bulldozing can cover or destroy macroinvertebrates in the swash zone and on the beach that foraging shorebirds and surf fshes depend upon. Tese activities can also destroy sea turtle nests when conducted between May and November. Even under the best survey conditions, all sea turtle nests cannot be found and marked or relocated to prevent take from these activities. Beach renourishment can also lead to more development and possibly decrease washover and increase vegetation, thus decreasing the amount of suitable nesting habitat for beach-nesting birds. Landscaping choices (e.g., intro- duced species such as Vitex) can also strongly afect the dune system. 4.4.15.6 Recommendations In general, conservation and restoration of natural composition and function, and conser- vation of surrounding natural areas are the best way to improve the ability of these com- munities to adapt to climate change. Development and historically free-ranging livestock have destroyed much of the original maritime grasslands and continue to represent the most severe threats to remaining unprotected examples. Although massive changes are
470
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online