Appendix 3
Reference Document 3-1
Metric Response Cheat Sheet
1. CONSERVATION CONCERN Metric 9. Threats to North Carolina Populations Population Affected Threat SCOPE 71 – 100 % a. Pervasive Affects all or most of the total population or occurrences
Threat
SEVERITY
a. Extreme
Likely to destroy or eliminate occurrences, or reduce the population Likely to seriously degrade/reduce affected occurrences or habitat or reduce the population
31 – 70 %
b. Large
Affects much of the total population or occurrences
b. Serious
11 – 30 %
c. Restricted Affects some of the total population or occurrences
c. Moderate Likely to moderately degrade/reduce affected occurrences or habitat or reduce the population
1 – 10 %
d. Small
Affects a small proportion of the total population or occurrences
d. Slight
Likely to only slightly degrade/reduce affected occurrences or habitat, or reduce the population
e. Unknown There is insufficient information to determine the scope of threats
e. Unknown There is insufficient information to determine the severity of threats
f. None
f. None
Metric 9. Threat Categories
9.1 Residential and commercial development . Threats are from human settlements or other nonagricultural land uses with a substantial footprint. Includes housing and urban areas; commercial and industrial areas; and tourism and recreation areas. 9.2 Agriculture and aquaculture. Threats are from farming and ranching as a result of agricultural expansion and intensification, including silviculture, mariculture, and aquaculture. Includes annual and perennial nontimber crops; wood and pulp plantations; and livestock farming and ranching. 9.3 Energy production and mining . Threats are from production of nonbiological resources, exploring for, developing, and producing petroleum and other liquid hydrocarbons. Includes: oil and gas drilling; mining and quarrying; and renewable energy. 9.4 Transportation and service corridors. Threats are from long, narrow transport corridors and the vehicles that use them, including associated wildlife mortality. Includes roads and railroads; utility and service lines; shipping lines; and flight paths. 9.5 Biological resource use. Threats are from Consumptive use of “wild” biological resources including deliberate and unintentional harvesting effects; also persecution or control of specific species. Includes hunting and collecting terrestrial animals; gathering terrestrial plants; logging and wood harvesting; and fishing and harvesting aquatic resources. 9.6 Human intrusions and disturbance. Threats are from human activities that alter, destroy and disturb habitats and species associated with nonconsumptive uses of biological resources. Includes all recreational activities; military exercises; work and other activities (research, vandalism, law enforcement, illegal activities). 9.7 Natural system modifications. Threats are from actions that convert or degrade habitat in service of “managing” natural or seminatural systems, often to improve human welfare. Includes fire and fire suppression; man-made dams and water management/use; other ecosystem modifications (land reclamation; shoreline hardening; beach reconstruction, snag removal from streams, etc.). 9.8 Invasive and other problematic species and genes . Threats from non-native and native plants, animals, pathogens/ microbes, or genetic materials that have or are predicted to have harmful effects on biodiversity following their introduction, spread, and/or increase in abundance. Includes invasive non-native/alien species; problematic native species (e.g., beavers); introduced genetic material (e.g., genetically modified insects; hatchery or aquaculture raised species). 9.9 Pollution. Threats from introduction of exotic and/or excess materials or energy from point and nonpoint sources. Includes household sewage and urban waste water; industrial and military effluents; agricultural and forestry effluents; garbage and solid waste; air-borne pollutants; and excess energy (e.g., ambient noise, sonar, cold or hot water from power plants, beach lights, etc.). 9.10 Climate change and severe weather. Long-term climatic changes that may be linked to global warming and other severe climatic or weather events outside the natural range of variation that could wipe out a vulnerable species or habitat. Includes habitat shifting and alteration; droughts; temperature extremes; storms and flooding.
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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