Chapter 4 Habitats
Table 4.4.12-1 Comparison of climate change with other threats to oak and mixed hardwood pine forest and managed timber .
Rank Order
Threat
Comments
1 Land use conversions in the Piedmont (primarily to suburban and exurban development) contribute significantly to the reduced condition of some tracts. The threat includes both direct and secondary impacts of development. Logging and exploitation are of greatest concern when accompanied by conversion to pine plantation or severe shifts in composition. Logged
Development
forests may be converted to successional pine forests or become dominated by maple or other hardwoods. Demand for biofuels may increase the risk of damage by logging or biomass harvest. However, logging remains an important source of income for many landowners and plays a role in helping to keep forested tracts from being sold for development. Nonnative plants such as Japanese Honeysuckle and Autumn Olive have seriously impacted many upland forest stands. Exotic diseases and pests have the potential to induce a large magnitude compositional change, as was seen with American Chestnut in the last century. Increased canopy disturbance by wind, drought mortality, or severe fire will hasten invasion. Gypsy Moths are the most destructive defoliating insect attacking Northern Red Oak, Chestnut Oak, and White Oak. The Asiatic Oak Weevil attacks Northern Red Oak seedlings and has the potential to seriously affect seedling growth because the larvae feed on the fine roots while the adults feed on the foliage.
Logging/ Exploitation
2
Invasive Species
3
4 There may be an increase in natural fires (due to increased drought and higher average temperatures), but landscape fragmentation and fire suppression practices likely will continue to prevent most fires from spreading very far in the Piedmont and in the dissected lands where oak forests occur in the Coastal Plain. Most oak forests are expected to benefit from increased fire frequency, as long as the fire intensity is not too high. 5 Piedmont and Coastal Plain oak forests are likely to be relatively resilient to the effects of climate change. These communities are tolerant of severe droughts, hot spells, and fires of low intensity. Development, logging, and invasive species are much more of a threat to these communities than climate change.
Fire
Climate Change
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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