5
Threats and Emerging Concerns
Required Element 3 Descriptions of problems which may adversely affect species identifed in Required Element 1 or their habitats, and priority research and survey efforts needed to identify factors which may assist in restoration and improved conservation of these species and habitats.
5.1 Introduction Natural communities are subject to numerous natural processes that can trigger, reinforce, or constrain the components of an ecosystem. Today, many of the stressors that cause impacts to wildlife and their habitats can be tied to anthropogenic activities. Burning fossil fuels, overharvesting, ecosystem degradation, habitat fragmentation, and wide-spread development are human legacies that impact biodiversity and ecosystem services, not only in North Carolina, but around the world (Balmford et al . 2011) . Te impacts infuencing ecosystem change that are most frequently mentioned when dis- cussing threats to wildlife and their natural habitats include many that have long existed: land-use conversion, pollution, and invasive species. More recent threats are often associ- ated with emerging issues, especially disease and pathogens, and climate change: sea level rise and extreme changes in regional precipitation and temperature patterns (MEA 2005) .Te advent of new threats will drive the need for additional research and monitoring in order to make informed decisions about appropriate management and policy actions.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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