4.4 Terrestrial Communities
successional habitat types support species uniquely dependent on them, other types pro- vide little beneft to plant and animal species, especially those patches of small size, and thus could only be considered marginal wildlife habitat at best. Tese kinds of places gen- erally refect human use and activity as the primary goals of their management and include a number of places such as large lawns, monoculture hayfelds, golf courses, residential development, and even urban development. In the Piedmont, Sandhills, and Coastal Plain ecoregions, early successional habitats are often found associated with agricultural or forestry activities and can contain a diverse assemblage of plants, with Piedmont prairies being a notable example of this (Davis et al. 2002) . Historically, the Piedmont contained some prairie-type habitats (Barden 1997) with high plant, and presumably insect, diversity that were maintained through fre and herbivore grazing. Today, remnant tracts of prairie are found primarily along powerline rights-of-way and sites managed specifcally for prairie restoration and maintenance. Successional wet- land communities associated with Beaver pond complexes are adapted to frequent distur- bances and are likely to be among the most resilient and adaptable to the efects of climate change. By storing water during times of drought and mitigating the efects of fooding, they are also likely to enhance the survival of species found in adjoining habitats as well. Tere are excellent opportunities for quality early successional habitat of large patch sizes for wildlife on industrial forestland in the Coastal Plain. Intensively managed habitats such as large lawns, golf courses, high production agricultural felds, monoculture hayfelds, and intensively managed commercial timber stands often have low species and structural diversity that will have limited habitat value for wildlife. 4.4.17.2 Location of Habitat Tis habitat type can be transient and is difcult to map but it occurs statewide. Powerline easements and other utility corridors are most likely to be perpetually maintained as successional habitat. Other examples are often found at the transition between agricul- tural felds and nearby woodlands, created by disturbances like clearcutting, disking, or burning. 4.4.17.3 Problems Affecting Habitats Increased temperature is likely to have a strong efect on the composition of the plant communities in this group. Tese changes are also likely to afect host-plant specialist insects, but impacts to other animals are difcult to predict. Increased frequency of severe droughts is likely to have a strong efect on the composition of the plant communities in this group. Tese changes are also likely to afect host-plant specialist insects but impacts
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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