7.4 Habitat Monitoring
Land in North Carolina is primarily in private ownership, which emphasizes the impor- tance of refning and strengthening remote sensing techniques when direct access to lands may not be feasible. Satellite imagery Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and digital ele- vation models, and geo-spatial data analysis tools have become more accessible and digital resources for statewide, regional, and national coverage are generally available through numerous sources. High-quality GIS data sets and imagery are available online from the NCDOT Business Partner Resources web page. 7.4.1 Terrestrial Habitat Monitoring Programs NCNHP Natural Heritage Program Natural Areas (NHPNA) identifes terrestrial and aquatic sites that are of special biodiversity signifcance. A survey-based approach and indicator species are used to determine what habitat units constitute core areas and what priority rank they should receive. Indicator species are selected based on their sensitivity to the integrity and fragmentation of specifc types of habitat. Landscape/Habitat Indicator Guilds are used for analysis and to monitor, as well as compare, the relative quality of these high-quality habitats and natural communities through time. Comprehensive natural areas surveys have been conducted for 92 counties in the state. Landscape Habitat Guild and county Natural Areas Inventory reports are available online from the NCNHP web page. Coastal wetlands inventories and functional assessments as well as beach erosion rates are conducted by the NC Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM). Annual wetland and stream bufer losses and gains are tracked by NCDWR. Wetlands mitigation site mon- itoring is conducted by the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP; a joint efort between the NCDOT, the US Army Corps of Engineers [USACE], and the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources [NCDENR]). Te USFS Southern Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Work Unit con- ducts periodic forest surveys in North Carolina (and nationwide) to provide statistics for measuring changes and trends in the extent and condition of forest land, associated timber volumes, and rates of timber growth, mortality, and removals. North Carolina contains four forest survey regions: the Mountains, Piedmont, Northern Coastal Plain, and Southern Coastal Plain. Te most recent forest survey in the state compares 2007 data to 2002 data and highlights changes in forest land area, ownership, forest type, stand size, stand treatment, softwood volume, hardwood volume, growth, mortality, and removals. Recent changes in methods, plot design, and sampling intensity were made to increase national consistency between FIA Research Work Units. Tese changes complicate the comparison of historic data with
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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