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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #222634
Title: Level 1 Wetland Assessment in North Dakota's Prairie Pothole Region

Author
item Phillips, Beckie
item BEERI, OFER - UND, GRAND FORKS, ND

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2008
Publication Date: 5/1/2008
Citation: Phillips, B.L., Beeri, O. 2008. Level 1 Wetland Assessment in North Dakota's Prairie Pothole Region. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The need for current indicators of wetland condition and cumulative impacts on water resources in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) outpaces the capacity of traditional field data collection, calling for collection of assessment data at landscape scales. The dynamic nature of prairie pothole wetlands and the extensive geographic area of the PPR demand that Level 1 assessment includes time-sensitive indicators, but methods are lacking for this region. By examining the relationship between traditional indicators of ecological health and features in the surrounding landscape, we demonstrate remote sensing-based metrics for wetland condition using landscape features as surrogate ecological indicators. Our approach includes a suite of time-sensitive indicators: hydroperiod, land-use, plant communities, and buffered waters. We also modeled subwatersheds to identify groups of wetlands within a common catchment according to surface flows. These data were combined with geologic and soil data layers to identify profiles of wetlands within a subwatershed. Profiles delineate current condition for the population of wetlands within a watershed and target potential restoration sites. Here, we present profiles from (1) a reference site and (2) a comparable, anthropogenically-impacted site. Results indicate these complex wetland ecosystems should be assessed as dynamic populations residing within a catchment using tools that facilitate repeated monitoring to adequately capture temporal sensitive parameters. We underscore how Level 1 assessment for dynamic wetland landscapes in the PPR bridges gaps in traditional field-based knowledge to support comprehensive wetland conservation plans.