Over the past 50 years, wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains have experienced a wide range of climatic conditions (severe drought to extreme wet), expansion of invasive species such as hybrid cattail, and disturbances (e.g., grazing, burning, flooding, drainage). In this study, we revisited wetlands that Stewart and Kantrud (1971) studied 50 years ago to evaluate changes in hydrological features and plant community. The three study areas encompassed fresh to saline wetland systems, and had different topographic and edaphic conditions. Climatic extremes greatly impacted wetland size, depths, and specific conductivity for Crystal Springs and Cottonwood study areas whereas wetlands at Mt. Moriah appeared more resilient. Climatic extremes, in combination with invasive plant species, greatly impacted species composition, frequency, and abundance of individual plant species in plant communities within wetland zones across all three study areas. This study demonstrates the value of long-term monitoring and provides valuable insights on how wetland systems respond to interactions of climate, topography, and land use.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Three responses of wetland conditions to climatic extremes in the Prairie Pothole Region
- Overview
Over the past 50 years, wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains have experienced a wide range of climatic conditions (severe drought to extreme wet), expansion of invasive species such as hybrid cattail, and disturbances (e.g., grazing, burning, flooding, drainage). In this study, we revisited wetlands that Stewart and Kantrud (1971) studied 50 years ago to evaluate changes in hydrological features and plant community. The three study areas encompassed fresh to saline wetland systems, and had different topographic and edaphic conditions. Climatic extremes greatly impacted wetland size, depths, and specific conductivity for Crystal Springs and Cottonwood study areas whereas wetlands at Mt. Moriah appeared more resilient. Climatic extremes, in combination with invasive plant species, greatly impacted species composition, frequency, and abundance of individual plant species in plant communities within wetland zones across all three study areas. This study demonstrates the value of long-term monitoring and provides valuable insights on how wetland systems respond to interactions of climate, topography, and land use.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Three responses of wetland conditions to climatic extremes in the Prairie Pothole Region
Wetlands in central North Dakota were revisited after 50 years to assess changes following extreme drought and a prolonged wet period. We compared data collected during 1961–1966 to current (2013–2014) wetland conditions. We revisited 80 wetlands in 2013 and 2014 across three study areas and measured wetland area, ponded-water depth, and specific conductance. Wetlands at the three study areas resp