Chapter 7 Monitoring
Data Basin is a science-based mapping and analysis platform that provides collaborative information for sharing and analyzing data and information. An example for North Carolina is the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) Riparian Assessment (Kaeser and Watson 2011) data set that assesses the current condition of riparian habitat within a 30-meter buffer along streams and rivers throughout the SARP region and provides a baseline against which to measure future progress toward achieving riparian habitat conservation and restoration goals. Another example is the series of Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) datasets that illustrate potential changes in marsh and coastal environments due to long-term sea level rise (SLR). Data Basin is also a resource for indicator species models developed by SECAS. LANDFIRE is a program that provides over 20 national geo-spatial data sets for vegetation type and cover, fuel loads, and land disturbance. Vegetation is mapped using predictive landscape models based on extensive field-referenced data, satellite imagery and biophysical gradient layers using classification and regression trees. LANDFIRE uses vegetation products (i.e., NatureServe's Ecological Systems classification) to create fuel and fire regimes data. The NatureServe Explorer provides descriptions for each ecological system including species, distribution and classification information. 7.4.2 Aquatic Habitats Monitoring Strategies for monitoring various community types include expanding monitoring efforts on public lands, initiating monitoring protocols on key private lands (especially industrial forest land), and collaborating with key partners (e.g., USFS, DOD, USFWS) and private timber companies. The NCDWR’s Water Sciences Section conducts extensive Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) monitoring for basin-wide planning efforts, including lake assessments, phytoplankton monitoring, physical and chemical water quality monitoring, and aquatic toxicity monitoring (as well as fish and benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring). The NCDWR also designates and maintains a list of impaired waters (305(b) and 303(d) Reports) and tracks percent impervious surfaces by basin. The most recent integrate reports are available online https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-planning/modeling- assessment/water-quality-data-assessment/integrated-report-files. Where dams regulate stream flow, long-term monitoring and research are needed to determine if existing minimum flow requirements are adequate to support aquatic communities and not just available habitat. The data generated from monitoring can be used to establish thresholds for flow requirements (i.e., ecological flows) necessary to sustain all riverine and riparian processes. This is especially important where there is a lack of biological and hydrological data and knowledge about synergistic influences, such as water velocities, water quality, salinity, temperature, and DO.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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