Chapter 4 Habitats
Sparrow, Black Rail, and Northern Harrier, are ground nesters in estuarine marsh habitats. Most SGCN waterbirds rely on estuarine wetlands for nesting and the majority of their foraging. Coastal marsh habitat is not migrating inland at comparable rates to sea level rise, and coastal marshes in North Carolina are already drowning and will continue to drown (Osland et al. 2024, Parkinson 2024) . Waterbird species that are colonial nesters are vulnerable to loss of habitat because they have relatively few nesting locations. Beach-nesting birds, sea turtles, and terrapins are more likely to have their nests washed over as sea level rises. Black Ducks also nest in brackish marshes. This species will lose nesting habitat as inundation drowns currently occupied marshes. Climate change will have a significant effect on brackish waterfowl impoundments, which provide high-quality habitats for breeding and wintering waterfowl and other shore- and long-legged wading birds. Many of these areas will be lost to sea level rise. Losses, drastic alteration, or disturbance of estuarine communities (especially marsh habitats) could have serious consequences for nutrient cycling and for reproduction of marine and estuarine organisms (Schafale and Weakley 1990) . Some reptile species, including sea turtles, terrapins, and American Alligators, exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination. With predicted increases in overall temperatures associated with climate change, it is possible that offspring sex ratios of these species may be affected ( Hawkes et al. 2009 ). It will be important to gather baseline information on sex ratios for species with temperature-dependent sex determination to characterize impacts from climate change. Several rare, disjunct, or endemic species—Carolina Watersnake, Aaron’s Skipper, and several moths—are associated with brackish marsh habitats in the sounds of the northern Coastal Plain. The drastic changes in salinity and wave action that are likely to occur if the Outer Banks are breached may drastically affect these species, possibly leading to their extirpation or extinction. If they survive the initial effects of the barrier island breach, however, they may be able to spread to new areas of brackish marsh that will form farther inland on the mainland side of the sounds. Nutria are an introduced and invasive mammal in freshwater and coastal marshes and wetlands, inland freshwater streams and rivers, and surface water impoundments. As warming trends increase, the range of Nutria is likely to expand, and populations currently limited by intolerance to cold winters will quickly expand. There is some anecdotal evidence that Nutria will take over and expand smaller next burrows of native wildlife, such as Muskrats, thereby displacing native species. Nutria may also be a vector for diseases (tuberculosis and septicemia) or parasites (Giardia, Fasciola, Liver Flukes, and nematodes), with fecal contamination in water the likely pathway ( Carr 2010 ).
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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