The White Mountain arctic is a small brown-and-gray butterfly found only in alpine habitats within the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  

Despite the limited range of this butterfly, we still have a lot to learn about its life history and population dynamics. The difficult conditions within the species’ range -- such as severe weather and rough terrain -- make it challenging to study. Its alpine ecosystem is thought to be highly susceptible to the effects of climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change . Assessing the potential for rapid climate related threats is important to understanding the status of this species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the state of New Hampshire to improve our understanding of this species and support its future viability through proactive conservation.