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Urban development, fragmentation, and other land conversions currently threaten many terrestrial habi- tat types in North Carolina (NC WAP), and species already sensitive to habitat fragmentation are likely to be further impacted by climate change. Habi- tat conversion may create barriers to migration, and expanded reserve networks may be required as thermally suitable conditions move across the land- scape. In some areas, development may have already destroyed or converted remaining natural habitat in these areas, limiting the ability of populations to shift. For example, the limited range of Mabee's sala- mander (Ambystoma mabeei) has been highly impact- ed by draining of wetlands and conversion of forest ibi r Il �l A," � ! / br /" 'r ll`l1(0 f / /l €. "C { €' vv�ft� /i t! 11 "G ^tlo;' {t{ 1,f1,.`,.` l,P ("/iFlr<' chv,V11 r< into cropland (Petanka 1988 in NatureServe 2009). Like other ambystomids, which require vernal ponds for breeding, specific habitat requirements and limit- ed movement make the species particularly vulner- able to habitat loss and degredation. Five species of ambystomid are currently identified as prior- ity species in the NC WAR. Of the 31 amphibian species prioritized for conservation in North Caro- lina, many, if not most, have narrow habitat require- ments for at least a portion of their life cycle. Even species occurring primarily in protected areas, such as pine woods littersnake (Rbadinaea flavilata), black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea), and Chatta- hoochee slimy salamander (Pletbodon cbattaboocbee, NatureServe 2009) may face increasing threats to habitat availability as habitat conditions are altered by climate change. Species with requirements for large areas of intact habitat may also be particularly vulnerable. For example, a number of forest interior dwelling species, such as black - billed cuckoo (Coccy- zus erytbroptbalmus), cerulean warbler (Dendrica cerulea), magnolia warbler (D. magnolia), Swainson's warbler (Limnotblypis swainsonii), and wood thrush (Hylocicbla mustelina), are identified as avian priority species in the NC WAR. Habitat specialists and species with restricted ranges will likely be some of the greatest affected by the combined effects of habitat loss and climate change. Such populations are more vulnerable to extinction by rare events and susceptible to additional stress - ors such as climate change. For example, Carolina northern flying squirrel (Glaucomy sabrinus coloratus) occurs only in isolated localities in 12 or 13 counties in North Carolina, and Tellico salamander (Oletbod- on aureolus) occurs in only two counties in North Carolina located between the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers (NatureServe 2009). Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obsucurus) is another prior- ity species with a fairly limited geographic distribu- tion that is broken into small isolated populations throughout portions of its range. Species such as rock shrew (Sorex dispar), an Appalachian endemic with very specific habitat requirements (e.g. cool, damp forest with deep talus (NatureServe 2009)), may also be more at risk. Other types of land use, for example logging, may impact priority species such as eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) and ambystomids such as spotted salamander (Ambystoma rnaculatum) and marbled salamander (A. opacum), which prefer forested areas with significant cover (NatureServe 2009). Conver- sion to pine plantations is a known threat to popu- lations of mimic glass lizard (Opbisaurus mimicus), which has a spotty distribution throughout its range (NatureServe 2009). In addition to densely urban- ized areas, roads pose additional barriers to a number of species, particularly those with limited movement, such as green salamander (Aneides aeneus), barking treefrog (Hyla gratiosa), black swamp snake (Semina- trix pygaea), and eastern box turtle (Terrapene caro- ling) (NatureServe 2009).