4.4 Terrestrial Communities
particularly herbivorous mammals. Many of these high-level predators are generalists that have declined in both abundance and range due to conficts with humans, with the major- ity now considered to be of conservation concern. Although all of the species included within this guild are highly adaptable and make use of a wide range of habitat types, the majority are considered rare or threatened in North Carolina. Tese include the Red Wolf, Least Weasel, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, and Pigmy Rattlesnake. Others, like the Black Bear and White-tailed Deer, are currently expanding their range across the state and are currently not considered to be of conservation concern. Te status of the Long-tailed Weasel is unknown and based on harvest trends, may be declining. Bobcats are common and their populations appear to be stable. Sea level rise may lead to inundation of large parts of the Coastal Plain, including the Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula where large reserves have been set aside for Red Wolves, Black Bears, and other wildlife. It is likely several large wildlife refuges clustered around the sounds will be inundated, including Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes, Lake Mattumuskeet, Swanquarter, Cedar Island, and Mackay’s Island National Wildlife Refuges, and the North River, Gull Rock, and Goose Creek Game Lands. Loss or even moderate reduction of these refuges is likely to strongly afect the survival of the pack of Red Wolves that has been restored on Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula, as well as the largest population of Black Bears along the North Carolina coast. While some movement inland can be expected, there are far fewer potential refuge areas in the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont to support viable populations of large predators or venomous snakes than there currently are in portions of the Outer Coastal Plain. Drought and wildfre may cause animals to range further away from more protected areas as they search for food, water, and cover. Tis can bring them into confict with people and roads with high-volume trafc that are common conditions in the Piedmont. Residents in the central Piedmont have expressed safety concerns when Black Bears are sighted, and bears have been killed when attempting to cross busy roads and highways, or directly by local law enforcement ofcials that are not knowledgeable of normal bear behavior. Black Bears are tied to forested areas, and in the southeastern United States, forest distri- bution matches the distribution of bears very closely. In many parts of the region, bears are dependent on oak trees for their energy-rich acorns and on a diversity of soft mast species (e.g., blueberries, blackberries). Where oaks are not the dominant species, diversity in forest types and ages can provide mast-producing hardwoods and shrubs. Bears are opportunis- tic omnivores, but low food supplies and an increase in fragmented habitat may result in increased bear movement into developed areas and leading to human-caused mortalities (e.g., vehicle, depredation).
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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