Chapter 4 Habitats
Sea level rise may lead to inundation of large parts of the Coastal Plain, including the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula where large reserves have been set aside for Red Wolves, Black Bears, and other wildlife. It is likely several large wildlife refuges clustered around the sounds will be inundated, including Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes, Lake Mattumuskeet, Swanquarter, Cedar Island, and Mackay’s Island national wildlife refuges, and the North River, Gull Rock, and Goose Creek game lands. Loss or even moderate reduction of these refuges is likely to strongly affect the survival of the pack of Red Wolves that has been restored on Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, as well as the largest population of Black Bears along the North Carolina coast. While some movement inland can be expected, there are far fewer potential refuge areas in the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont to support viable populations of large predators or venomous snakes than there currently are in portions of the Outer Coastal Plain. Drought and wildfire may cause animals to range farther away from more protected areas as they search for food, water, and cover. This can bring them into conflict with people and roads with high- volume traffic that are common conditions in the Piedmont. Residents in the central Piedmont have expressed safety concerns when Black Bears are sighted, and bears have been killed when attempting to cross busy roads and highways, or directly by local law enforcement officials that are not knowledgeable of normal bear behavior. Black Bears are tied to forested areas, and in the southeastern United States, forest distribution matches the distribution of bears very closely. In many parts of the region, bears are dependent on oak trees for their energy-rich acorns and on a diversity of soft mast species (e.g., blueberries, blackberries). Where oaks are not the dominant species, diversity in forest types and ages can provide mast-producing hardwoods and shrubs. Bears are opportunistic omnivores, but low food supplies and an increase in fragmented habitat may result in increased bear movement into developed areas and leading to human-caused mortalities (e.g., vehicle, depredation). Increased temperatures may cause some latitudinal shifts in the ranges occupied by members of this group, but the effects are likely to be mixed. Least Weasels are probably the only species likely to shift its range as a consequence of increased warming. In the Mountains, they may retreat toward the north, becoming less common or even potentially extirpated from the state. In the Coastal Plain, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes are currently at the very northern edge of their range and very rare in the state. With warming temperatures, there is the potential they will increase in abundance. However, that potential could very well be offset by increased development and fragmentation, as well as persecution.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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