Chapter 5 Threats
encroachment of development into unfragmented habitat also causes species displacement due to competition from habitat generalist wildlife species that can thrive in urban and suburban landscapes. Nonnative invasive plant species—which reduce native insect populations—and increased predation from generalist wildlife and outdoor cats can cause local extirpation of wildlife of conservation concern. Human–wildlife conflict is another issue of particular concern that is exacerbated by spread-out development patterns. The more conflict people perceive as being caused by wildlife, the less support the public may have for wildlife conservation.
Figure 5.3-1 Population growth projection 2010 to 2035. (Source: communitydevelopment.ces.ncsu.edu)
Areas of the state that are highest in biodiversity, species rarity, and endemism are experiencing some of the greatest rates of urban and rural sprawl, including the southeast Coastal Plain, the Sandhills, and the southeast Mountains. • The Wilmington metropolitan area and North Carolina beach communities drive development growth on the southeast Coastal Plain. Populations in the region increased by 40% from 2000 to 2010 (USCB 2014) , and Wilmington was the seventh fastest growing
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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