Chapter 4 Habitats
Table 4.2.7-1. Climate change compared to other threats to headwater streams/small creeks Threat Rank Order Comments
species, like the Basket (Asian) Clam, may have negative effects on native species, such as competing for space and resources. 4 Livestock access to streams contributes heavily to bank erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient input. The majority of headwater streams are on lands in private ownership making them at risk from land use practices that may increase stormwater runoff of nutrients, sediment, and contaminants. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in treated
Cattle in Streams
Pollution
5
wastewater can inhibit reproduction and cause feminization of mussels and fish (Conn et al. 2006; Kim et al. 2007; Kasprzyk-Hordern et al. 2008; Joss et al. 2006; Kolpin et al. 2002; Nowotny et al. 2007) . Runoff from impervious surfaces carries lawn pesticides, road oil, and other pollutants from developed areas into surface waters.
4.2.7.5 Impacts to Wildlife Appendix 3 provides lists of SGCN and other priority species. Table 3-18 in Appendix 3 identifies the aquatic wildlife SGCN associated with this community. Headwater systems offer a range of habitats that can support an abundance and diversity of species, depending on water depth and seasonality of flows, hydrologic regime, temperature, water chemistry, substrate types, and connectivity to downstream systems (Meyer et al . 2007). Biodiversity will be influenced by the presence of species unique to headwater systems and whether connectivity within the DA allows species that seasonally use headwaters for particular life history stages (e.g., spawning, nursery areas) to move upstream from larger streams (Meyer et al . 2007). Headwater systems, especially those associated with springs and seeps, are likely to have a high diversity of insects, especially those genera with an aquatic life history cycle. Research conducted at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in western North Carolina collected at least 51 families and 145 genera of aquatic insects in eight headwater streams during three decades of sampling (Meyer et al . 2007) . Climate change effects, especially drought and higher temperatures, will likely have a significant impact on headwater stream communities, possibly creating a shift where several perennial streams will become intermittent or ephemeral systems. This potential shift will result in the loss of aquatic species diversity. Aquatic species could experience shifts in their range or distribution, and sensitive species may experience decline or extirpation due to changes in water quality and habitat. Headwater streams could dry up, potentially leading to aquatic species extirpation (DeWan et al. 2010; Karl et al. 2009; Band and Salvesen 2009; USEPA 2010) .
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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