Chapter 4 Habitats
believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive communities. Appendix 3, Table 3-18 provides a list for all SGCN associated with aquatic natural communities in the Broad River basin.
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats • Fish – survey for priority and state-listed species on a routine basis. Santee Chub Seagreen Darter Snail Bullhead Thicklip Chub V-Lip Redhorse Jumprock species • Freshwater Mussels – continue to track mussel population health in priority areas such as Green and Broad rivers. Creeper Green River Broad River • Crayfishes – continue inventories and update status of priority species.
Broad River Spiny Crayfish Broad River Stream Crayfish
Carolina Foothills Crayfish
• Aquatic Snails – inventory primary distribution; determine potential habitats and distribution surveys for all species.
4.5.4.5.2 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. 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. While long-term monitoring sites have been established and baseline data gathered in most areas of the basin for fishes and crayfishes, a comprehensive approach to long-term monitoring is still lacking for mussels. Monitoring plans should be coordinated with other existing monitoring programs where feasible. Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Fish – monitor priority and state-listed species on a routine basis.
• Mussels – monitor priority species in priority areas (Green and Broad rivers; Cove Creek).
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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