North Carolina is located within the temperate deciduous forest global biome, however, a great variety of forest and non-forest ecosystems may be found within the state. The temperature and moisture regimes throughout North Carolina are relatively consistent but topography, elevation, soils, hydrology, disturbance and land use history combine to influence ecosystem and community composition, structure, and function.The outline that follows provides you with a brief overview of the major terrestrial and freshwater habitats of North Carolina (see Shafale and Weakley 1990). There are three main physiographic regions in North Carolina: the Appalachian Highlands, the Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. Each of these regions has a different geological and ecological history.