2001 S ERCD - Longleaf Ecological of Whispering Pines for Update of the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitat

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INTRODUCTION The Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina, by D. Sather and S. Hall was completed in 1988. The authors identified 64 sites that were significant in an ecological sense - presence of rare species, presence of rare natural plant communities, value as general wildlife habitats, or value as wildlife corridors. The passage of time since then has seen significant population growth in Orange County, as well as an increase in knowledge about the county's flora and fauna. In addition, public agencies and private conservation organizations have protected some of the original 64 sites plus others. Now is a good time to update the Inventory and to identify other significant natural areas. PROJECT DESIGN The research design is straightforward. As defined in the Scope of Work in the Request for Proposals (RFP), work revolves around four major objectives. 1. Gather together new data which have accumulated since the 1988 Inventory. These data may come from a variety of sources, including Natural Heritage Program files, aquatic fauna inventories, and efforts by local and regional conservation agencies. Incorporate this information into the existing site descriptions and create new sites as appropriate. All natural areas with new data, as well as newly created sites, need survey work in order to verify the information and to assess possible changes in site management. 2. Revisit approximately 50 of the 64 original sites (the remainder are known to be stable and secure - R. Shaw, pers. comm.). Evaluate their current status as natural areas and verify the continued existence of rare flora, fauna, and natural communities. 3. Through remote sensing, identify potential new natural areas in the county, particularly in the northern portion. Evaluate these areas for their ecological significance - presence of rare species, unusual natural communities, value as wildlife corridors. Prepare site descriptions and incorporate these Into the updated Inventory. 4. Reassess the adequacy of the wildlife corridor system as proposed in 1988. Does the system accomplish its basic functions? Where might it be improved? METHODOLOGY I will discuss methods to be employed during the Inventory update in the context of the objectives enumerated above. 1. New data has accrued at various sources. Each source needs to be contacted and the data retrieved; once obtained, pertinent information will be added to existing site descriptions. Among these sources are the following: a. Natural Heritage Program database of rare flora, fauna, and natural communities. New data may be in the form of recently documented sightings and collections, or previously overlooked historical specimens. These data can be readily obtained by requesting post -1988 entries for Orange County.