Chapter 4 Habitats
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Fishes – Continue surveys to determine distribution and status of SGCN and other priority species. Banded Sunfish Black Banded Sunfish Bridle Shiner Ironcolor Shiner Least Brook Lamprey Mimic Shiner V-lip Redhorse • Mussels – determine distribution and status of SGCN and other priority species. Chameleon Lampmussel Creeper Green Floater Triangle Floater Yellow Lampmussel • Crayfishes – determine distribution and status of SGCN and other priority species. Carolina Ladle Crayfish Croatan Crayfish Pamlico Crayfish • Snails – conduct baseline distribution surveys for all species that occur in the basin. Ridged Lioplax • Exploratory surveys on the Neuse River to document suspected populations of Tidewater Mucket. Tidewater Mucket 4.5.12.5.2 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. 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. 4.5.12.5.3 Research Research to facilitate appropriate conservation actions includes investigation of habitat use and preferences, reproductive behavior, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Increased understanding of life histories and status helps determine the vulnerability of priority species to further imperilment, in addition to identifying
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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