Chapter 4 Habitats
for recreation, and these small impoundments fragment headwater habitats, contribute to temperature pollution, and can be a source of nonnative introductions. All the major tributaries in the North Carolina part of the basin are upstream from major impoundments in Georgia and South Carolina that isolate them from the rest of the basin. Short reaches of the Horsepasture and Toxoway rivers are impounded just inside the North Carolina border (Lake Jocassee, Duke Energy, Lake Toxoway). Invasive Species. Little is known of the extent to which nonnative aquatic species have become established in the North Carolina portion of the basin. Nonnative vegetation can also negatively impact native aquatic animal communities. This includes both aquatic and riparian plant species and nonnative plant pathogens that can alter riparian vegetation and affect aquatic habitats (e.g., Hemlock Wooly Adelgid). 4.5.16.5 Basin Specific Recommendations Conservation priorities that apply statewide to all river basins are presented in Section 4.5.3. Priorities identified in the Savannah River Basin are shown in Figure 4.5.16-2 at the end of this section. 4.5.16.5.1 Surveys Surveys are systematic and scientific methods of collecting information about the distribution, abundance, and ecology of wildlife or their habitats in a specific area at a specific time. A habitat survey is a method of gathering information about the ecology of a site. The results of a habitat survey provide basic ecological information that can be used for biodiversity conservation, planning and/or management, including targeting of more detailed botanical or zoological investigations (Smith et al. 2011) . Repeated surveys using the same methods can provide information about conditions and changes to species assemblages and habitat composition over time. Priorities for conducting distributional and status surveys need to focus on species believed to be declining or mainly dependent on at-risk or sensitive communities.
Priority Conservation Action, Examples of Focal Species or Focal Habitats
• Fish – work with other agency staff to complete distribution surveys for Bartram’s Bass. Bartram’s Bass • Aquatic Snails – complete primary distribution inventories; determine potential habitats and distribution surveys.
• Determine distribution of nonnative species.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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