Chapter 4 Habitats
surrounding forests. Table 4.3.11-1 summarizes the comparison of climate change with other existing threats.
Table 4.3.11-1 Climate change compared to other threats to upland pools and depressions.
Rank Order
Threat
Comments
1 Shallower examples may be destroyed by development or heavily altered by logging. Logging when the ground is wet creates permanent ruts as well as alters canopy structure and composition. Clearcutting near ephemeral wetlands causes higher solar radiation and an increase in the probability of wetlands drying out; also, timber harvest may introduce weedy plant invasions of wetlands. 1 Piedmont wetland habitats are heavily impacted by, and have been greatly reduced by, development, roads, and drainage throughout the region. Wetter examples are degraded by development of surrounding areas. 2 Some models predict that rainfall will be concentrated during the fall and there will be increased droughts in the spring and summer. This may reflect an expectation of increased hurricane activity rather than well-distributed rainfall. There is also a general expectation that both droughts and extreme rainfall events will become more common. 3 Drainage ditches have affected some examples, and alteration of drainage by roads has altered some other examples. Includes artificial drainage and Beaver impoundment effects. Beaver ponds can be a nuisance to landowners when they flood farm fields or commercial timber. Pools located in floodplain terraces that now rarely flood may experience greater flooding in the future due to more frequent severe storms. 3 Invasive species are not a significant problem in these systems at present. Increased canopy opening and shortened hydroperiod will make them more susceptible to invasion by Japanese Honeysuckle, Japanese Stiltgrass, and possibly Asian Dayflower. Fire Ants, which are not abundant in the Piedmont at present, are likely to increase with warmer temperatures. They represent a threat to these communities and may represent an additional indirect threat if they harm amphibians in the uplands. The introduction of fish, bullfrogs, and other predatory species can devastate the breeding effort of amphibians in small wetlands.
Logging/ Exploitation
Development
Climate Change
Flood Regime Alteration
Invasive Species
4 - 201
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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