4.5 River Basins
Monitoring. Long-term monitoring is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health over time and gauging the resilience of organisms to continued impacts to state waters. Studies should include identifcation of population trends, as well as assessment of impacts from conservation or development activities. Baseline data and sites for long-term moni- toring of fsh, crayfsh, and mussels are established and should be monitored periodically. Tese eforts will inform species and habitat management decisions. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible.
• Monitor status of nonnative species (e.g., Hydrilla).
• Continue periodic monitoring of priority areas and species.
• Establish baselines and sites for long-term monitoring of snails in the basin.
Research. Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Increased understanding of life histories and status helps determine the vulnerability of priority species to further imperilment, in addition to identifying possibilities for improved management and conservation. All stud- ies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. Formal descriptions for known or putative undescribed species and investigations aimed at resolving taxo- nomic status are needed. In addition to the SGCN species found in the basin (see Table 4.72), a list of knowledge-gap priority species is provided in Table 4.73.
T ABLE 4.73 Knowledge-gap priority species in the New River Basin
Federal/ State Status*
Taxa Group
Scientifc Name Chrosomus oreas
Common Name
FISH
Mountain Redbelly Dace
— — — — — — — —
Cyprinella spiloptera
Spotfn Shiner
Nocomis platyrhynchus Notropis photogenis Notropis rubricroceus Notropis scabriceps Notropis sp. cf. rubellus Notropis volucellus Phenacobius teretulus Pimephales notatus Corbicula fuminea
Bigmouth Chub Silver Shiner Safron Shiner New River Shiner
Kanawha Rosyface Shiner
Mimic Shiner
Kanawha Minnow Bluntnose Minnow Asian Clam [Exotic]
FSC/SC
— —
MUSSEL
* See Table 4.43 in Section 4.5.3.2 for abbreviations.
591
2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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