Article
Environmental Sciences
Brian A. A. Tangen, Sheel Bansal, Seth Jones, Cami S. S. Dixon, Amanda M. M. Nahlik, Edward S. S. DeKeyser, Christina L. M. Hargiss, David M. M. Mushet
Summary: Wetlands provide important ecosystem services to society, but they have been greatly impacted by human activities, resulting in loss and degradation. Protecting and restoring wetlands are common practices to preserve their benefits. Therefore, methods for monitoring and assessing wetlands are needed. This study describes a methodology for vegetation-based assessments and presents a case study on wetland condition assessment in the Prairie Pothole Region. The results show that a significant number of surveyed wetlands were in poor condition, indicating the need for improved restoration practices and management of invasive species.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Joshua Montgomery, Craig Mahoney, Brian Brisco, Lyle Boychuk, Danielle Cobbaert, Chris Hopkinson
Summary: The Prairie Pothole Region of North America is a crucial habitat for a variety of wetland ecosystems, and remote sensing provides a cost-effective means for mapping and monitoring wetlands in this region. Various wetland classification methods and remote sensing systems can be used in the PPR, with the fusion of multi-source data and state-of-the-art machine learning techniques recommended for optimal results.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Aminul Haque, Genevieve Ali, Pascal Badiou
Summary: The study found that the alteration status of wetlands, climate, and antecedent storage conditions have significant impacts on the hydrologic response of wetlands to individual rainfall-runoff events, potentially overriding the influence of spatial characteristics. Antecedent storage appears to be the driving factor for wetland-stream interactions, and the lack of persistent correlations between wetland spatial characteristics and response metrics suggests nonstationary wetland hydrological behaviors.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Evan R. DeLancey, Agatha Czekajlo, Lyle Boychuk, Fiona Gregory, Meisam Amani, Brian Brisco, Jahan Kariyeva, Jennifer N. Hird
Summary: Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region pose challenges for mapping due to their dynamic nature and small size. This study utilizes Sentinel-2 imagery and Google Earth Engine to capture seasonal flooding dynamics of wetlands in Alberta, Canada. The resulting wetland inventory provides an efficient method for mapping and conservation purposes.
Article
Ecology
Derek C. Ballard, Orrin E. Jones, Adam K. Janke
Summary: The importance of semi-permanent wetlands as stopover habitat for spring-migrating waterfowl in the prairie pothole region of the northern United States has been increasingly recognized. Ducks show a preference for semi-permanent wetlands over seasonal wetlands, farmed wetlands, and lakes during migration.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Kyle McLean, David Mushet, Jon Sweetman
Summary: The study discusses the homogenization of prairie-pothole wetland ecosystems and the importance of preserving and restoring their functions. It presents a conceptual model illustrating the interactions between historical wetland losses, landscape modifications, and climate change leading to ecosystem homogenization. The findings highlight the spatial, hydrological, chemical, and biological homogenization of wetlands, emphasizing the need to protect and restore heterogenous wetland complexes for maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality.
Article
Ecology
Blake J. Mitchell, Catrina V. Terry, Kevin M. Ringelman, Kaylan M. Kemink, Michael J. Anteau, Adam K. Janke
Summary: The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is important for breeding waterfowl, but has been altered due to wetland drainage and grassland conversion. Understanding the ecology of waterfowl in these modified landscapes is essential for conservation. By applying new surveying methods, we found that brood use of wetlands in the PPR is influenced by factors such as grassland surrounding wetlands and wetland size.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James E. Paterson, Lauren E. Bortolotti, L. Boychuk
Summary: Wetland permanence has an impact on biological communities and legislation. Wetland drainage in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) has led to changes in the distribution of wetlands, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. A classification model using LiDAR and Sentinel-2 data was built to predict wetland permanence and facilitate the implementation of a conservation program.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Mohamed Ismaiel Ahmed, Kevin Shook, Alain Pietroniro, Tricia Stadnyk, John W. Pomeroy, Charlotta Pers, David Gustafsson
Summary: In this study, a variable contributing area algorithm is implemented in the HYdrological Predictions for the Environment (HYPE) model and evaluated in the Canadian prairies. The modified model shows significant improvements in simulating the streamflows of two prairie basins in Saskatchewan, Canada. With the inclusion of the HDS algorithm in HYPE, the global HYPE modelling community can now simulate an important hydrological phenomenon, previously unavailable in the model.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yungang Hu, Huan Li, Dan Wu, Wei Chen, Xiang Zhao, Miaole Hou, Aijia Li, Yujiao Zhu
Summary: The Three-North Shelter Forest Program (TNSFP) region in China is an important ecological area covering over 42.4% of China's land. Despite various ecological restoration projects implemented, evaluation work has been limited. Leaf area index was proposed as an indicator to evaluate the ecological restoration situation, with analysis conducted using GLASS LAI dataset from 2000 to 2015. Forest cover slightly increased, mainly in regions with annual precipitation greater than 400 mm, while grassland area decreased.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shayeb Shahariar, Richard Farrell, Raju Soolanayakanahally, Angela Bedard-Haughn
Summary: The study reveals significant impacts of different land-use practices, groundwater table depths, and salinity levels on greenhouse gas emissions, with pasture having the highest emissions and short rotation willow the lowest. Emissions of CO2 and CH4 decreased under high salinity treatments, while N2O emissions increased.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sheel Bansal, Max Post van der Burg, Rachel R. Fern, John W. Jones, Rachel Lo, Owen P. McKenna, Brian A. Tangen, Zhen Zhang, Robert A. Gleason
Summary: Natural methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems may increase due to human-induced climate warming, although the exact magnitude of this increase is uncertain. By utilizing a large dataset and satellite information, researchers modeled wetland methane emissions in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), the largest wetland complex in North America. The study found that regardless of future changes in wetland extent, PPR methane emissions are projected to increase significantly by the year 2100 under moderate or severe warming scenarios. This emphasizes the need for international efforts to consider both anthropogenic and natural methane emissions in order to reach climate mitigation targets.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Candace K. May
Summary: This study examined institutional adaptations in governing public access and use of 'nonmeandered waters' overlying private lands in South Dakota Prairie Pothole Region, showing how changes in hydrology led to changes in rules and authority at different levels of governance. The findings demonstrated a non-unidirectional relationship between institutional resistance and pressure for change, with feedbacks from lower institutional levels influencing change at higher levels. The broader policy implications include potential improvements in water quality, farm sustainability, and climate justice.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Grant McKown, Gregg E. Moore, Andrew R. Payne, Natalie A. White, Jennifer L. Gibson
Summary: Long-term monitoring of compensatory freshwater wetland projects is crucial for understanding wetland restoration processes and evaluating outcomes. Research has shown that over extended periods, wetland vegetation and bird communities demonstrate distinct successional patterns, with wetland success closely tied to habitat quality.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Stefan Schlaffer, Marco Chini, Wouter Dorigo, Simon Plank
Summary: The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is a significant wetland system that plays a crucial role in biodiversity, water storage, and flood management. This study developed a robust approach using Sentinel-1 data and high-resolution topographical information to classify and monitor the open water extent in the prairie wetlands. The results demonstrate the potential of Sentinel-1 data for high-resolution monitoring of prairie wetlands.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)