Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats • Continue to update status assessments for the highest priority SGCN species. • Conduct surveys prior to dam removal projects and within extant reservoirs and tailraces to detect presence of nonnative species; barrier removal may facilitate movement of introduced crayfish (Lieb et al. 2011) . 3.4.8.2 Monitoring Long-term monitoring is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health over time and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. Studies should include identification of population trends, as well as assessment of impacts from conservation or development activities. These efforts will inform species and habitat management decisions. Long-term monitoring sites need to be identified and monitoring protocols developed for all priority species. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats • Continue long-term monitoring for state-listed and SGCN crayfish species. • Monitoring the spread of nonnative or invasive crayfish species is a high priority. Focal species include: Kentucky River Crayfish Red Swamp Crayfish Rusty Crayfish Spiny Stream Crayfish Virile Crayfish 3.4.8.3 Research Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, contaminant dynamics and toxicology, impacts of climate change and invasive species, 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 studies should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. Formal descriptions for known or putative undescribed species and investigations aimed at resolving taxonomic status are needed.
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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