5.12 Climate Change
With projected decreases in water availability, future population growth will increase stress over water supplies across much of the South by 2060, particularly in developing watersheds (Marion et al. 2014) . Projections of water supply demand in the Raleigh–Durham metropolitan area estimate a 14% decrease in water supply from the Upper Neuse River watershed in conjunction with an estimated 21% increase in water demand (Marion et al. 2014) . Te amount and timing of precipitation will afect annual amphibian reproduction because most species lay eggs in water, often seasonal and ephemeral wetland systems (Saenz et al. 2013). Increased drought conditions and warming temperatures will contribute to the potential for increased wildfres in the Atlantic coast in summer and early autumn (Vose et al. 2014) . Dynamic vegetation models indicate there will be an increase in the fuel loading in eastern areas of the South (Vose et al. 2014) . Long-term drought may result in stress to vegetation. Projected dryness is expected to infuence fre season by increasing duration as much as fve months longer in the Appalachian Mountains (Vose et al. 2014) . Where development and population growth occur, there will be a greater potential threat to life and property from wildfres. Te growing presence of people will also increase the risk of wildfre ignitions from human-ignited wildfres (Vose et al. 2014) . Climate change could alter fuel loading by changing plant productivity and decomposition rates, as well as by causing shifts in species distribution. Warmer and drier conditions would result in more fuel being consumed (Liu et al. 2013) . 5.12.4 SGCN Priority Species Te Taxa Team evaluation considered the level of threat climate change represents to SGCN priority species. Table 5.11 provides a list of species for which this threat category is consider very high or high.
T ABLE 5.11 SGCN at very high or high threat from climate change
Threat Level Very High High
Scientifc Name AMPHIBIAN Aneides aeneus
Common Name
Green Salamander
X X
Desmognathus imitator pop.1
Imitator Salamander—Waterrock Knob pop.
Rana [Lithobates] capito
Carolina Gopher Frog
X X
Rana sylvatica [Lithobates sylvaticus] pop.3 Necturus maculosus maculosus
Wood Frog—Coastal Plain pop.
Common Mudpuppy
X
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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