4.4 Terrestrial Communities
changes are likely to have mixed efects, invasion by some exotic species can produce severe impacts, greatly reducing the diversity of both animal and plant communities. Te Appalachian Bewick’s Wren may have been extirpated from North Carolina due to compe- tition with exotic house sparrows and European Starlings, along with brood parasitism by Brownheaded Cowbirds, an invasive species in this area that arrived from the Great Plains (Potter et al. 2006) . Wetland Communities. With stable Beaver populations, Beaver ponds can be maintained for decades. Beaver ponds are a natural community, but result from modifcation of other community types. With or without climate change, Beaver pond ecosystems are likely to further spread across the state, recreating habitat conditions that existed prior to the great loss of Beavers and their associated species that began with European settlement of North America. Tis spread will likely have a positive efect on successional wetland inhabitants. Te main limiting factor for this reoccupation is human tolerance for Beaver activities and competition with humans for use of bottomlands. A reduction in the number of Beaver ponds will place more importance on man-made ponds as the primary habitat for many lentic aquatic species. Changes in insect species composition, especially among herbivorous groups, are likely to occur due to changes in plant composition as well as the direct efects of climate change on the insects themselves. Eight very rare species associated with this habitat group are entirely confned to these habitats in North Carolina, including the federally endangered Saint Francis’ Satyr. Vertebrate composition is less likely to change if habitat structure remains fairly constant. While often small in size, cumulatively successional wetland habitats provide critical breeding habitat for many species. Wetland habitats are especially important as breeding sites for amphibian species. Small wetlands can also be important breeding habitat for crayfshes. Wading birds, waterfowl, and songbirds may also use small wetland communi- ties for nesting and feeding areas. Dead trees in Beaver ponds are important foraging and nesting habitat for woodpeckers, such as the Red-headed Woodpecker, and for Wood Duck nesting. Freshwater wetlands near coastal communities provide an important source of fresh drinking water for wildlife, which will become more important in areas subject to saltwater intrusion. Depending on geographic siting in the landscape, successional wetlands may also provide connectivity between adjacent upland habitats. Nutria are considered a serious pest species in the United States because they eat a variety of wetland and agricultural plants and their burrowing damages streambank, impound- ments, and drainage systems. As warming trends increase, the range of Nutria, a nonnative
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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