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SyJ rm.e gj S t .gym ' ".1110 brea t s to " "f e c .7m es a �irrm i I lax )1 ta t -" uman -induced climate change threatens """""""" °� species and habitats already impacted other serious stressors such as habitat loss and degradation, introduction of non - native species, overexploitation, and many others. For numerous terrestrial species, habitat destruction and degradation have been ranked as a primary threat, often followed by competition with, or predation by, non - native species (e.g., Flather et al. 1998, Wilcove et al. 1998). Analyses focused on aquatic systems also identify habitat destruction and degra- dation (Williams et al. 1989), as well as agricultural pollution, non - native species, and altered hydro- logic regimes as primary threats to species and habi- tats (Richter et al. 1997). In many cases, these extrinsic factors continue to be primary drivers of biodiversity loss. However synergies among stress - ors are likely to amplify the dynamics of extinction (Brook et al. 2008). Climate change is already beginning to exacerbate the impacts of these existing threats and, as a result, esti- mates of extinction risk for vulnerable species may be much more severe than previously recognized (Brook et al. 2008). For example, species attempting to shift their ranges in response to changing climatic condi- tions are now faced with trying to move through heavily modified landscapes (Honnay et al. 2002). Current protected areas only capture a narrow range of environmental conditions across the wide range of habitat types. With climate change, protected areas may no longer capture temperature, precipitation, or hydrologic conditions within historic ranges (Dyke 2004). Additionally, new bioclimatic conditions and altered composition of ecological communities may facilitate invasions by non - native species, further stressing resident species (Dukes and Mooney 1999). In this chapter, we examine several synergistic threats to species and habitats, including land use change, demand for land intensive alternative energy sources, and spread of invasive species, as well as how climate change may amplify the impact of these stressors on wildlife in North Carolina. 4,u 1G i iiEiii��d11WUe Change Conversion of land to urban development produces some of the greatest rates of local extinction among the many anthropogenic activities that cause habitat loss. Unlike other types of habitat conversion, conver- sion to urban development is often more permanent than conversion to other land uses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, population size in North Carolina increased 21.4% between 1990 and 2000, increasing population density from 136.1 to 165.2 people per square mile (USCB 2004). Projections suggest that roughly half the state or greater will be settled at a density of urban, suburban, or sprawling exurban (rural communities beyond the suburbs that serve as commuter towns) by 2030 (Conservation Trust for North Carolina 2007). Across the Unit- ed States, the rate of urban land use is accelerating faster than the rate at which land is being protected as national parks, state parks, or privately by land trusts such as The Nature Conservancy (McKin- ney 2002). The impact of urbanization is observed along the urban to rural gradient, affecting both species richness and species composition (McKinney 2002). Additionally, a large percentage of imperiled plants and animals are affected by other land uses, such as agriculture, extractive land uses, water and infrastructure development, and outdoor recreation ( Wilcove et al. 1998). The USGS Land Cover Trends Project (USGS 2010) uses a probability sampling approach to measure national land change on an ecoregion (EPA Level III) basis for the time period spanning 1973 to 2000. For each sample block, satellite images are used to