Chapter 4 Habitats
4.4 Terrestrial Communities 4.4.1 Introduction
Terrestrial and aquatic systems are highly connected to the extent that upland land clearing activities can result in increased erosion and sedimentation in adjacent riparian communities. Water quality impacts can reduce aquatic species population sizes, leading to food limitations for terrestrial species with an aquatic food base. Unfortunately, the Southeast contains some of the most endangered ecosystems in the country: southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir, Longleaf Pine forest and savanna, eastern grasslands, coastal communities, and forested wetlands (Noss et al. 1995) . Threats to habitats across the region include fragmentation, conversion to other habitat types, suppression of fire, and outright loss due to development (Noss et al. 1995, Ricketts et al. 1999) . There are numerous other threats that can affect a broad range of terrestrial or upland communities, and the natural community descriptions provided in this section include information about the problems that affect specific community types. Additional information about threats most likely to impact fish and wildlife and their habitats is provided in Chapter 5. The natural communities described in this section are primarily based on descriptions published by the NC Natural Heritage Program (Schafale and Weakley 1990, NCNHP 2010, Schafale 2024) . A recent update to the classification themes was published in 2024, the Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (Schafale 2024) . Where relevant, the associated subtypes associated with each natural community have been updated with the Fourth Approximation themes. See Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (Schafale 2024) for complete descriptions and lists of plants associated with each subtype. The recommendations provided within each of the natural community descriptions represent priorities specific to the habitats and wildlife species associated with them. Numerous state, regional, and national-scale efforts have been used as a resource on which to build the conservation priorities addressed in this chapter. To the greatest extent possible and where applicable, the guidance provided by these important efforts has been incorporated into this Plan. There are numerous threats that can affect a broad range of terrestrial or upland communities, and some of the most common and widely occurring are described in this section. The natural community descriptions provided in this chapter provide information about the problems that affect specific community types. Additional information about threats likely to impact wildlife and habitats is provided in Chapter 5.
The natural community descriptions in Section 4.4 are generally arranged in elevational order as they occur on the landscape, beginning in the western Mountains and proceeding eastward
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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