4.4 Terrestrial Communities
fooding along the beach prohibits plant growth, so vegetation communities are not included in this community type. Te structure and availability of beach landscapes is subject to naturally occurring changes caused by wave action (swash), high tides, and storm surge and can vary daily (FitzGerald et al. 2007) . Tis habitat is often referred to as ‘beach’ but represents a diferent community than described in Maritime Grasslands, Dunes and Beach (Section 4.4.15). However, maritime grassland, maritime forest, tidal wetlands, and estuarine wetlands are the vegetated communities most likely to be located adjacent to this community. Tis habitat provides important forage sites for several species of resident and migrating shorebirds as well as decapod crustaceans (e.g., ghost crabs) (Schlacher and Lucrezi 2010) . Most shorebirds feed above the swash limit to a few meters into the water, while others feed on the beach above the active swash limit such as Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings (Burger et al. 1977; Nordstrom et al. 2006) . Where the active shoreline transitions to other community types it may provide nesting sites. Tey are also vital nesting sites for sea turtles and Diamondback Terrapins and they support numerous other small mammals and invertebrates. Beach communities that are subject to low-energy wave action provide important spawning habitat for marine animals such as Horseshoe Crabs (family Limulidae) (Nordstrom et al. 2006; NOAA 2014) . Sandy beaches also have a rich interstitial community comprised of both micro- and macrofaunal species (e.g., Hydrozoa, Turbellaria, Trematoda, Nematoda, Gastropoda, Arthropoda) (McLachlan and Brown 2010) .
Sand, shell, and wrack shoreline is a new natural community description and was not included in the 2005 WAP (NCWRC 2005) .
4.4.16.2 Location of Habitat Sand, shell, and wrack shoreline is a coastal zone habitat found on barrier islands and other Atlantic Ocean shore areas between the low tide line and the vegetated lower sand dune (fore dune) communities. 4.4.16.3 Problems Affecting Habitats Development along shorelines and other coastal waterfronts often result in use of bulk- heads and other protective barriers meant to protect buildings and infrastructure from wave action and inundation hazards. Seawalls and groins built to protect beaches from erosion result in narrower intertidal zones and altered wrack assemblages, which in turn contributes to reduced numbers of invertebrate forage needed by shorebirds (Dugan and Hubbard 2006) . Bulkheads and wave breaks can impede turtle access to nesting and forag- ing sites or reduce the amount of sandy areas that are accessible for nesting (Wnek et al. 2013; Roosenburg 1990) .
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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