Chapter 4 Habitats
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats • Determine the distribution, relative abundance, and status of all wildlife species associated with Spruce-Fir forests. Small mammals Eastern Milk Snake Engraved Covert Fragile Glyph • Focus survey priorities on species believed to be declining, at risk, or exclusively dependent on Spruce-Fir forest communities. Carolina Mountain Dusky Salamander Imitator Salamander Jordan’s Salamander Bobolink Brown Creeper Golden Eagle Bats
Black-capped Chickadee Red Crossbill Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel
Rock Shrew Rock Vole Northern Pigmy Salamanders
Southern Pigmy Salamanders Weller’s Salamander
• Focus secondary survey priorities on species for which current distribution information is more available or for species associated with additional, more extensive habitats to collect distribution and abundance data.
Canada Warbler Hairy Woodpecker Northern Saw-whet Owl
Sharp-shinned Hawk Masked Shrew Smoky Shrew
Northern Slimy Salamander
• Collect baseline microhabitat and microclimate characteristics in Spruce-Fir salamander communities.
4.4.3.6.2 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 priority species. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. Monitoring of aquatic taxa is critical to assessing species and ecosystem health and gauging the resilience of organisms to a changing climate. These monitoring efforts will inform future decisions on how to manage aquatic species.
4 - 238
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator