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conservation need and provided a detailed array of management opportunities and approaches for part- ner- based, strategic conservation. In recognition of the potential impacts of climate change on important North Carolina wildlife species and habitats, the NCWRC is preparing for a revi- sion of the NC WAP. This revision is intended to highlight the special conservation issues associated with projected regional climatic shifts, and provide a critical first step towards safeguarding wildlife and habitats from climate change. However, given the complexity of climate change science, the breadth and depth of stakeholder groups who have been involved in the NC WAP, and the diversity of academics, NGOs, as well as state and federal agen- cies who are currently working on climate change issues in the region and state, the NCWRC identi- fied a clear need for a review of the state of climate change science and potential impacts on species and habitats specific to North Carolina. This report provides a comprehensive and up -to -date review of climate change science relevant to the state of North Carolina, the potential vulnerability of wild- life and their habitats, and the options for response through conservation planning, adaptive manage- ment, strategies, and actions. Although decreasing greenhouse gas mission will be critical for reducing the severity of climate change impacts, this report focuses on adaptation rather than mitigation, in an effort to provide guidance for updating the NC WAP. As each chapter provides a standalone component of specific elements of climate change in the state, read- ers may benefit from reading the report from start to finish or individually by chapter depending on their current level of understanding and potential applica- tion of the available science. Collectively, this report provides a general overview of available climate science (how do we know what we know), as well as a synthesis of the fundamental process for projected shifts in temperature, precipitation, hydrology, and sea level rise. In addition, we provide maps and a review of the fundamental ecological principles that underlie potential climate change impacts on natural systems. We then use that analysis to identify poten- tial impacts of projected shifts on species and habitats in the southeast and North Carolina. The potential impacts of climate change on species and habitats are also reviewed through the lens of synergistic threats such as alternative energy development and land use change. Finally, we outline a template for effective conservation planning, adaptive management, and adaptive management considerations in the face of climate change. Each of these topics is covered in 5 chapters and appendices described below: In Chapter 1, we provide a review of the fundamen- tal components of climate change science, such as climate modeling, functional and physical impacts on wildlife and habitat, and vulnerability. This review can serve as a baseline for understanding the latest climate science as well as provide a framework for thinking about how wildlife species and habitats may respond to climatic shifts. In Chapter 2, we describe some of the projections of temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise in the southeast under climate change, and highlight the available research on potential impacts to terrestrial and aquatic species. In Chapter 3, we apply climate modeling scenarios to map state - specific projected temperature and precip- itation changes, and use this information to identify a broad subset of species and habitats in North Caro- lina that may be particularly susceptible to climate change impacts in the state. UT