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STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE TRIANGLE
HISTORY
Natural Heritage Program
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The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NHP) was established by the NC
Department of Environment and Natural Resources to create an inventory of the
biodiversity in the state. Rare and at-risk species are identified and mapped to aid in
conservation planning. Being aware of what species are in an area allows planners
and conservationists to consider how to best manage the land for people and
resources.
NHP has two primary ways in which to identify important areas for wildlife habitat:
Significant Natural Heritage Areas and Landscape/Habitat Indicator Guilds. Both
serve as guidelines for conservation efforts across the state, and each includes
different considerations of species’ needs.
Significant Natural Heritage Areas
In conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Plant Conservation
Program of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the
Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program of the N.C. Wildlife Resources
Commission, NHP maintains a database of significant elements (rare species of
animals and plants) and significant areas (LM: Land areas/natural areas?). The database
contains information about the occurrences and distribution of the rarest plants and
animals and the highest quality natural communities of the state.
Together with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), NHP also maintains an inventory of
Significant Natural Heritage Areas (SNHA) for the state. A Significant Natural
Heritage Area is an area of land or a waterway that NHP considers to be important
for conservation of biodiversity. There are 241 SNHAs partially or completely
located in the Triangle Region. SNHAs contain one or more rare plant or animal
species, special animal habitats or rare natural communities. Because conserving
biodiversity depends on protection of the greatest number of plant and animal species
in distinctive communities and habitats, SNHAs contain the best known
representatives of elements of diversity in the state and are therefore at high priority
for protection.
NHP ranks each SNHA in categories according to its state, national and regional
significance:
Nationally significant natural areas contain examples of natural communities,
rare plant or animal populations, or geologic features that are among the highest
quality, most viable, or best of their kind in the nation, or clusters of such elements.
[Working on selecting one or two examples of rare natural communities…]
The Natural Heritage Program
is a program established by The
Nature Conservancy in 1974.
Since then, every state and
several countries and
territories in the Americas have
developed NHP programs to
inventory the occurrences of
species and habitats in each
county within its boundaries.
In the 1990s, TNC and the state
NHP programs evolved into an
independent non-profit
organization called
NatureServe, which has since
become the most complete
and detailed international
source of information about
rare species and threatened
ecosystems.
ASNHAS
Below are the most important
Aquatic SNHAs in each county.
Chatham
Bear Creek, Haw River, Lower
Rocky/Deep Rivers, Middle Deep
River
Durham
Eno River
Johnston
Little River, Swift Creek
Lee
Lower Rocky/Deep Rivers, Middle
Deep River, Upper Cape Fear River
Orange
Eno River, Haw River, University
Lake
Wake
Little River, Swift Creek
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Statewide significant natural areas contain similar ecological resources that are among the best occurrences in
North Carolina. There are a few better quality representatives or larger populations on nationally significant sites
elsewhere in the nation or possibly within the state.
Regionally significant natural areas contain natural elements that may be represented elsewhere in the state by
better quality examples, but which are among the outstanding examples in their geographic region of the state. A few
better examples may occur in nationally or state significant natural areas. Regions consist of an area the size of about five
counties.
Many of these special places are
permanently protected. For those
SNHAs that fall on private land, NHP
offers landowners opportunities to
participate in voluntary conservation
programs to protect SNHAs. The data
maintained by NHP serves to educate
the public, lawmakers, and private
landowners regarding these
ecologically significant communities
and helps to guide decision-making
processes regarding proposed
development.
Significant Natural Heritage Areas comprise 3.05 percent of the land in the Triangle…
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Landscape/Habitat Indicator Guilds
In an attempt to incorporate landscape elements into their conservation strategy, NHP uses another system of
ranking, similar to the species and community elements. Landscape/Habitat Indicator Guilds (Guilds) incorporate groups
of species known to share not only habitat but spatial requirements and restrictions. Species are selected for inclusion in
guilds based upon their sensitivity to habitat fragmentation, connectivity, and the quality of habitat. In this instance a
species’ rarity is not necessarily a factor for inclusion in a guild. Thus, a guild is another way to determine which areas
offer the greatest potential for the persistence of wildlife.
Guilds are organized into “Core Areas” – segments of habitat that are still well enough connected to support the
range and habitat requirements of the species within the guild. Core Areas include species’ feeding, resting and breeding
habitats. For instance, some species range up to __________ to find food and water, and to return to their breeding
grounds. Other species such as the spotted salamander often do not travel more than 400 feet from the place they were
born for all of their life requirements. (I have a site for this somewhere – let me verify the data.)
[p.6 - Maps of Guilds]
(we were presented with the guild/core areas shapefile on Wednesday of last week; I’m still working on how to make it
communicate as a map. jjs)
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