Chapter 4 Habitats
4.2.9.6 Recommendations It is important to preserve the connectivity of warmwater systems because they provide a link to cool and coldwater systems that will become refugia as water temperature gradients change and previously cool waters become persistently warmer. As water temperatures change, many species may not be able to migrate into waters with appropriate temperatures if there are barriers to movement or habitats are fragmented so that warmwater habitats are interspersed amongst habitats that do not meet thermal requirements. Section 4.2.2 provides recommendations appropriate for all aquatic communities, statewide. Actions specific to the state’s river basins are provided in Section 4.5. 4.2.9.6.1 Surveys Surveys are systematic and scientific methods of collecting information about the distribution, abundance, and ecology of wildlife or their habitats in a specific area at a specific time. A habitat survey is a method of gathering information about the ecology of a site. The results of a habitat survey provide basic ecological information that can be used for biodiversity conservation, planning and/or management, including targeting of more detailed botanical or zoological investigations (Smith et al. 2011) . Repeated surveys using the same methods can provide information about conditions and changes to species assemblages and habitat composition over time. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on species believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive communities.
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Conduct surveys to determine distribution and status of priority freshwater mussel species. Green Floater Triangle Floater • Conduct baseline surveys to document distribution and status of aquatic snails. Panhandle Pebblesnail • Conduct surveys to determine distribution and status of priority freshwater fish species. Bull Chub Mimic Shiner V-lip Redhorse 4.2.9.6.2 Monitoring Monitoring involves repeated observation and recording of specific parameters to show trends over time. Long-term monitoring that includes statistical and quantitative analysis in the design is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health and gauging the resilience of organisms to changing conditions (Gitzen et al. 2012, Lindenmayer and Likens 2009) . Monitoring efforts 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
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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