The 2015 North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan defines 41 priority habitats for the state. More information about this habitat can be found in Section 4.3.5.

Habitat Priorities

Surveys

Document Bald Eagle nesting sites. (Surveys Priority)
Design specific surveys to determine status and distribution of birds not adequately picked up by the Breeding Bird Survey in floodplain forests (e.g., the Cerulean Warbler, Swainson's Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, etc.). (Surveys Priority)
Determine the status and distribution of Wayne's Black-throated Green Warbler. (Surveys Priority)
Determine the status and distribution of the Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, and Anhinga (as well as other colonial nesting waterbirds). (Surveys Priority)
Determine the breeding and roosting status and distribution of the Chimney Swift in natural conditions along major floodplains with appropriate habitat conditions (e.g., older, hollow trees). (Surveys Priority)
Determine the status and distribution of priority bat species, including Northern Long-eared Bat, Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat, Northern Yellow Bat, Seminole Bat, Southeastern Bat, Little Brown Bat, and Tricolored Bat. (Surveys Priority)
Conduct small mammal surveys, especially for the Eastern Woodrat, with a focus on circumneutral soils (other small mammal survey needs include the Cotton Mouse and Southern Pygmy Shrew). (Surveys Priority)
Determine the status and distribution of snakes using floodplain forest habitats (Taylor and Jones 2002). (Surveys Priority)

Monitoring

Continue long-term monitoring of active Bald Eagle territories, successful breeding pairs, and fledged eagles.
Develop monitoring for any North Carolina floodplain forest bird species that require specialized attention, since neither BBS nor standard point counts can adequately sample irregularly distributed or clumped species like Kentucky, Cerulean, and Swainson's warblers.
Develop or enhance long-term monitoring for most bat species (Ellis et al. 2002).
Conduct long-term monitoring for floodplain forest birds (breeding, migration, and winter periods) in forest patches of varying size (Robbins et al. 1989; Doherty and Grubb 2000).
Establish long-term monitoring for herpetofauna using floodplain forest habitat (especially breeding salamanders and snakes).
Examine demographics and habitat use of bats in floodplain forests; there is also a need to identify, monitor, and maintain (or recruit) key bat habitats and microhabitats in floodplain forests (Ellis et al. 2002).

Research

Research the genetic makeup of the coastal population of the Black-throated Green Warbler.
Research the genetic relationships among floodplain salamanders.
Examine the impacts of long-term flooding regimes on ground-nesting birds (e.g., Swainson's Warbler) (Swift et al. 1984). Similar studies are also needed for salamanders.
Determine the conservation and restoration efforts needed for canebrake rattlesnakes in floodplain forests (Brantley and Platt 2001).
Conduct bird productivity research (especially neotropical migrants) with a focus on nest searching studies to determine the predator community and bird nesting success in patches of different sizes and with various landscape contexts (Rodewald and Yahner 2001).
Examine the demographics, habitat-use patterns, and impacts of feral hogs on ground-nesting birds, salamanders, and small mammals (Warren and Ford 1997).
Study the impacts of beaver and beaver ponds on species composition (both flora and fauna) to determine negative or positive impacts of beaver or beaver control measures.
Ensure that research studies targeting birds are long-term, large-scale, replicated studies that have controlled experimental approaches and focus on population demographics and the response of species to habitat manipulations where appropriate (as outlined by the National Partners in Flight Research working group) (Donovan et al. 2002). Similar research priorities are needed for other floodplain forest taxa including bats, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
Study the effects of riverine buffer width characteristics on bird species diversity, richness, survival, nest success, and productivity (Perkins et al. 2003). Similar studies are also needed for small mammals, bats, amphibians, and reptiles to determine long-term productivity in buffers of various widths.

Management Practices

Wherever possible, maintain or restore floodplain forest connectivity, as floodplain forests are important distribution and dispersal corridors for many species (Bailey et al. 2004). This would benefit floodplain forest species such as the Northern Parula, Yellow-Throated Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Wood Thrush, Swainson's Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher, as well as amphibians, Timber Rattlesnakes, and forest bats.
Floodplain buffers of 300 to 600 feet provide the most benefit for species such as Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Wood Thrush, Swainson's Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, and Acadian Flycatcher, as well as amphibians, snakes, and forest bats.

Conservation Programs and Partnerships

Description

For this natural community description, Inland Floodplains are forested communities associated with freshwater systems of various conditions and sizes and are located primarily in the Mountain, Piedmont, and Sandhills ecoregions. Depending on landscape position and soil moisture gradients, some of the wetland communities described in Section 4.3 may also be part of the inland floodplain community; however, in this description, floodplain forests are considered the dominant community type.

Floodplain systems in the Coastal Plain ecoregion may be associated with blackwater rivers (originating in the Coastal Plain) or brownwater rivers (originating in the Piedmont or Mountains but flowing into the Coastal Plain). Floodplains in the Coastal Plain are typically characterized as broad alluvial features that may be inundated for prolonged periods every year with low gradient meandering streams that terminate in tidal estuaries (Hupp 2000). Separate community descriptions are provided for the blackwater and brownwater floodplains (see Sections 4.3.3 and 4.3.4, respectively) because of their unique characteristics.

In the Piedmont and Sandhills ecoregions, floodplain forests generally do not contain the significant recognizable elevation differences seen in the larger coastal floodplain systems. In these smaller floodplains, the relief and size of the fluvial landforms (levees, sloughs, and ridges) that differentiate the communities in large floodplains become smaller and harder to find (Schafale and Weakley 1990). In larger and more expansive examples of these floodplains, the forest canopy contains a good mixture of bottomland and mesophytic (moderately moisture tolerant) plant species.

Floodplain forests of the Mountain ecoregion are relatively narrow and do not contain well-developed levees, sloughs, and ridges. Smaller high gradient streams often do not have representative floodplains, but instead have riparian zones embedded within other habitat types such as isolated patches of various wetland communities (Schafale and Weakley 1990). Mountain floodplains are subject to sporadic high-intensity flood events of short duration.

Location of Habitat

Floodplain forests of some type are found beside most rivers and streams in the Piedmont and Sandhills ecoregions. They are of varying widths, depending on the topography of land adjacent to the river, and the transition between floodplain and upland forest is often gradual. Mountain floodplains are generally restricted to larger streams and rivers with relatively low gradients of the valley landscape.

Problems Affecting Habitats

Flooding

Natural floodplains are biologically productive and diverse ecosystems that are among the most threatened due to habitat alteration, flow and flood control, invasive species, and pollution (Tockner and Stanford 2002). The condition of floodplain forests of all types has been greatly reduced in recent years throughout North Carolina and the entire southeast (Weller and Stegman 1977; Schafale and Weakley 1990) by a variety of anthropogenic factors. Factors that impact these systems in North Carolina include flooding regime patterns that have been changed by dams and other development, habitat fragmentation, changes in water chemistry and organic matter loads, increased nitrogen from agricultural and development-related runoff, exotic species, and high-grading of stands and logging that reduces wide buffers. All of these factors individually or interactively produce abrupt or gradual changes in floodplain plant and wildlife communities.

Long-duration flooding has had impacts on all ground-nesting bird species. Loss of old growth characteristics (canopy gaps, vine tangles, hollow trees, dead and downed woody material) and fragmentation of stands is a major concern. A lack of standing dead or older trees has impacted the availability of quality bat and Chimney Swift roosting and breeding sites and nesting productivity for species such as Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser. Lack of downed woody debris has impacted a variety of amphibians and reptiles.

Land Use

Logging and clearing land for agriculture, development, recreational use, and reservoir construction all cause direct loss and alteration of floodplain forests. In the past half century, an estimated 52% of bottomland forests in the south have been cleared for agriculture or development (Smith et al. 2002). Land clearing activities conducted adjacent to, and up and downstream of floodplain forests can cause indirect impacts to the floodplains, particularly related to hydrology. Areas adjacent to floodplains are often prime targets for general development and subdivisions, and buffer size is often inadequate to provide any protection from a variety of anthropomorphic disturbances over time. For instance, flooding events may occur with greater frequency in some areas due to increased upstream impervious surfaces and clearing of vegetation near buffers.

Snags play a very important role in providing nesting, foraging, and roosting areas for many cavity-nesting birds, bats, arboreal mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Lack of snags and den trees is often a limiting factor for several species of wildlife, especially secondary cavity users (McComb et al. 1986). Younger riparian forests can also lack dead wood on the ground, which is important for some songbirds (like the Kentucky Warbler), many reptiles, amphibians, and some small mammals.

Dams can alter the timing and duration of flood events. Alteration of hydrology due to dam creation and the draining of wetlands changes plant communities and also affects the availability of ephemeral wetlands for breeding amphibians. Building ditches and canals in floodplains dramatically alters hydrology and is often done to prepare a floodplain for agriculture, forestry, or development. Even in abandoned sites, ditches will continue to alter the hydrology for many decades. Habitat loss from wetland drainage impacts all floodplain species, including furbearers, breeding amphibians, overwintering birds, and migrant species that use these areas as stopover sites.

Fragmentation of forest stands has contributed to the loss of intact large riparian corridors and the width of many riparian corridors has been greatly reduced. Breeding area-sensitive bottomland-hardwood birds have likely been impacted by the loss of intact woodland systems. High-grading of stands has changed plant species diversity and stand vegetative structure. Forestry activities (e.g., logging) have reduced colonial waterbird and eagle nesting areas. Clearing of adjacent uplands can increase edge effects and limit the effective size of floodplain forest habitat.

Water Quality

Sewer lines have been constructed along many floodplain corridors, especially in urbanized areas. These corridors fragment floodplain forests and allow conditions for invasion of exotic plant species. Poor water quality due to nutrient inputs, reduced dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, sedimentation, and chemical contamination (among others) can have a strong impact on amphibians, turtles, and other animals associated with floodplain forests that forage or breed in aquatic areas, in addition to the direct impacts on fully aquatic species. Sediment pollution is a major problem in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Beaver activity and the creation of beaver ponds in floodplain forest can have substantial impacts on trapping sediment and associated pollutants.

Invasives

Increases in amounts of non-native plants (e.g., Chinese Privet, Japanese Stiltgrass, Japanese Honeysuckle) and the overall loss of large canebreaks are partly due to the lack of infrequent fire and also certain logging practices. Understory vegetative diversity has declined in many areas due to modified flooding regimes and increases in invasive nonnative plant species. The reduction in overall plant diversity is often extensive due to these invasive nonnative plants and may cause problems for native fauna, though the extent of wildlife impacts is largely unknown.

Climate Change Compared to Other Threats

While climate change may not be the most severe threat, a combination of synergistic effects with other existing conditions could stress these systems to the point where several species are unable to persist.The effect of a changed climate is likely to vary widely among examples of this community type, depending on topographic sheltering, configuration of soil type and depth, elevation of groundwater, and the timing and duration of precipitation.

Impacts to Wildlife

The vegetative cover of some floodplains was historically maintained in Switch Cane and herbaceous plants through fire and other periodic disturbance. Small remnants of “canebrake” communities still exist throughout the Piedmont, but management strategies to maintain this feature are almost nonexistent. Migratory landbirds that use switch cane areas for breeding include Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, and Swainson's Warbler.

Floodplains are also important as movement corridors for mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Birds use riparian corridors at all times of the year and these areas are especially important to neotropical migrants during the migration periods. Indeed, floodplain forests generally have the highest nesting bird concentrations in the state and they are arguably the most important habitats for birds. Floodplain pools that occur in small depressions and are flooded for a portion of the year generally have few or no trees and are especially important sites for breeding amphibians such as Spotted Salamander, Marbled Salamander, Four-toed Salamander, and many frogs.

quoted from the 2015 North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan

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