Brian Tangen
Biography
Brian Tangen is an Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) in Jamestown, North Dakota. Brian studied aquatic invertebrates in streams and wetlands while working towards bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Valley City State University and North Dakota State University. He began his professional career processing and identifying aquatic invertebrates and conducting a wide variety of field work for NPWRC’s aquatics lab. Since then he has worked in a variety of roles at NPWRC performing research focused on carbon and greenhouse gas cycling in wetland systems, wetland hydrology, wetland management, and effects of climate- and land-use change.
Education
- M.S., Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 2001
- B.A., Biology, Valley City State University, 1999
Affiliations
- Society of Wetland Scientists
Partners
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
Science and Products
Mechanisms, models, and management of invasive species and soil biogeochemical process in prairie pothole wetlands
The ecological foundation of thousands of acres of wetland habitat is being impacted by changes in land cover, land use, climate, and invasive species. This project utilizes USGS remotely-sensed products, along with experimental and observational field data to develop spatially-explicit, landscape-scale models of invasive cattails and soil biogeochemical processes. These models will assist...
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
Description of aquatic vegetation and invertebrate communities at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge is situated within a riverine system where refuge wetlands receive sediment-laden inflows that have been associated with diminished plant communities and water quality conditions. Accordingly, improved habitat- and water-quality conditions have been recognized as overall management goals, and the collection of baseline biotic and abiotic data has been...
Assessment of pattern tile drainage on wetland hydrology and ecosystem services in the Prairie Pothole Region
Prairie Pothole Region wetlands provide numerous ecological services to society such as wildlife habitat, water storage, and carbon sequestration. Agricultural production in the region has been enhanced through the expanded installation and use of subsurface drainage systems, but these systems may have a negative impact on the region’s wetlands, including those protected by conservation...
Temperature and light measurements along the water-depth profile of ponds in North Dakota, USA, 2019
This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort to assess factors that regulate thermal stratification and mixing in small ponds. This work was part of an international collaborative effort with the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). From May to October 2019, temperature and light were measured throughout the water-depth profile of two artific...
Isotopic data for soil cores collected during 2000 from Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, South Dakota
A study was conducted to assess the vertical accretion of sediment in the Mud Lake impoundment of Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, located in Brown County, South Dakota. Sediment cores were collected from the Mud Lake impoundment during 2000 for determination of vertical accretion rates, which were estimated using cesium-137 and lead-210 isotopic dating techniques. These data directly su...
Greenhouse gas fluxes, dissolved gas concentrations, and water properties of laboratory mesocosms
The data describe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, dissolved GHG concentrations, and mesocosm conditions (vegetation, hydrologic phases, ambient conditions) of a controlled, laboratory study.
Data release in support of “A case study examining the efficacy of drainage setbacks for limiting effects to wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA”
A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of drainage setbacks for limiting effects to wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA. Surface-water levels, along with primary components of the wetland water balance, were monitored at four wetland catchments over 3 years. During the second year of the study, subsurface drainage systems were installed in two of the wetland catchments using
Water chemistry of cropped wetlands and associated subsurface drainage system discharge in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, 2013–2015
A field study was conducted in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota to examine potential effects of localized subsurface drainage systems on wetland hydrology. As part of discrete studies utilizing the study sites (wetland catchments) from this study, samples of wetland surface water and subsurface drainage system effluent were collected from 2013–2016 and analyzed for standar
Dissolved greenhouse gas concentrations and fluxes from Wetlands P7 and P8 of the Cottonwood Lake Study area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 2015
A study was conducted to assess the relationships among carbon mineralization, sulfate reduction and greenhouse gas emissions in prairie pothole wetlands. These data are for dissolved methane and carbon dioxide concentrations and fluxes. Dissolved gas concentrations in the water column and fluxes to the atmosphere were estimated from April through November, 2015 for wetlands P7 and P8 of the...
Soil properties and greenhouse gas fluxes of Prairie Pothole Region wetlands: a comprehensive data release
This data release encompass numerous studies examining soil properties and greenhouse gas fluxes of Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) wetland catchments. The PPR is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in the world, encompassing approximately 770,000 square kilometers of the north-central U.S. and south-central Canada, with the U.S. portion including parts of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dako
Conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota: characteristics of wetland catchments and key factors for determination of drainage setback distances
This data release includes characteristics of wetland catchments associated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife conservation easement lands located in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. Characteristics include wetland catchment areas, slope length, land use, soil mapping unit, and slope grades of representative soils. County and ecoregion also are included. Summary data pertaining to lat
Aquatic invertebrates and vegetation and water-quality of Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota: 2013-2014
During 2013 and 2014 aquatic invertebrates were collected and vegetation was inventoried from sample locations distributed throughout Pool 10 and West Pool of Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Invertebrate sampling was conducted using aquatic activity traps and by collecting organisms from submersed vegetation. Vegetation was inventoried through a combination of visual observation and...
Diurnal patterns of methane flux from a depressional, seasonal wetland
Data on diurnal variation in wetland methane flux were collected to 1) improve understanding of short-term, mechanistic drivers of methane flux, and 2) inform sampling protocols to achieve research objectives. An automated gas flux sampling system was used to measure methane flux every 2.5–4 hours for over 230 diel cycles over the course of three growing seasons (2013–20
Wetland and hydric soils
Soil and the inherent biogeochemical processes in wetlands contrast starkly with those in upland forests and rangelands. The differences stem from extended periods of anoxia, or the lack of oxygen in the soil, that characterize wetland soils; in contrast, upland soils are nearly always oxic. As a result, wetland soil biogeochemistry is...
Trettin, Carl; Kolka, Randall; Marsh, Anne; Bansal, Sheel; Lilleskov, Eric; Megonigal, Patrick; Stelk, Marla; Lockaby, Graeme; D'Amore, David; MacKenzie, Richard A.; Tangen, Brian; Chimner, Rodney A.; Gries, JamesGreat Plains
No abstract available.
Perry, Charles H.; Tangen, Brian; Bansal, SheelSoil organic carbon stocks and sequestration rates of inland, freshwater wetlands: Sources of variability and uncertainty
Impacts of land use, specifically soil disturbance, are linked to reductions of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Correspondingly, ecosystem restoration is promoted to sequester SOC to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, which are exacerbating global climate change. Restored wetlands have relatively high potential to sequester carbon...
Tangen, Brian; Bansal, SheelA review of Cattail (Typha) invasion in North American wetlands
OverviewCattail (Typha) is an iconic emergent wetland plant found worldwide. By producing an abundance of wind-dispersed seeds, cattail can colonize wetlands across great distances, and its rapid growth rate, large size, and aggressive expansion result in dense stands in a variety of aquatic ecosystems such as marshes, ponds, lakes, and riparian...
Bansal, Sheel; Tangen, Brian; Lishawa, Shane; Newman, Sue; Wilcox, DouglasStudy design and methods for a wetland condition assessment on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fee-title lands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, USA
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages wetlands and grasslands for wildlife habitat throughout the central North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). PPR wetlands, or potholes, are widely recognized as critical habitats for North American migratory waterfowl, waterbirds, and other wildlife. Potholes also provide other ecosystem...
Tangen, Brian; Bansal, Sheel; Fern, Rachel R.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Hargiss, Christina L. M.; Mushet, David M.; Dixon, Cami S.Typha (cattail) invasion in North American wetlands: Biology, regional problems, impacts, ecosystem services, and management
Typha is an iconic wetland plant found worldwide. Hybridization and anthropogenic disturbances have resulted in large increases in Typha abundance in wetland ecosystems throughout North America at a cost to native floral and faunal biodiversity. As demonstrated by three regional case studies, Typha is capable of rapidly colonizing habitats and...
Bansal, Sheel; Lishawa, Shane; Newman, Sue; Tangen, Brian; Wilcox, Douglas; Albert, Dennis; Anteau, Michael J.; Chimney, Michael J; Cressey, Ryann L.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Elgersam, Kenneth J; Finkelstein, Sarah A; Freeland, Joanna; Grosshans, Richard; Klug, Page E.; Larkin, Daniel J; Lawrence, Beth A; Linz, George; Marburger, Joy; Noe, Gregory B.; Otto, Clint R. V.; Reo, Nicholas; Richards, Jennifer; Richardson, Curtis J.; Rodgers, LeRoy; Shrank, Amy J; Svedarsky, Dan; Travis, Steven E.; Tuchman, Nancy; van der Valk, Arnold; Windham-Myers, LisamarieAquatic vegetation and invertebrate communities of Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Observed degradation of aquatic systems at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, located in west-central Minnesota, have been associated with sediment-laden inflows from riverine systems. To support management, a study was conducted during 2013–2014 with overall goals of characterizing the aquatic invertebrate and vegetation communities of the Big...
Tangen, Brian; Finocchiaro, Raymond; Newton, Wesley E.; Dahl, Charles F.Hydrologic lag effects on wetland greenhouse gas fluxes
Hydrologic margins of wetlands are narrow, transient zones between inundated and dry areas. As water levels fluctuate, the dynamic hydrology at margins may impact wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes that are sensitive to soil saturation. The Prairie Pothole Region of North America consists of millions of seasonally-ponded wetlands that are ideal...
Tangen, Brian; Bansal, SheelEffects of land use on greenhouse gas flux in playa wetlands and associated watersheds in the High Plains, USA
In the High Plains, U.S., native prairie conversion to cropland agriculture has resulted in a loss of service delivery capabilities from most depressional wetlands as a result of sedimentation. Restoring historic hydrological conditions to affected wetlands may rejuvenate some services, however, there may be tradeoffs due to emissions of CH4 ...
Daniel, Dale W.; Smith, Loren M.; McMurry, Scott T.; Tangen, Brian; Dahl, Charles F.; Euliss, Ned; LaGrange, TedTerrestrial wetlands
1. The assessment of terrestrial wetland carbon stocks has improved greatly since the First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (CCSP 2007) because of recent national inventories and the development of a U.S. soils database. Terrestrial wetlands in North America encompass an estimated 2.2 million km2, which constitutes about 37% of the global wetland...
Kolka, Randall; Trettin, Carl; Tang, Wenwu; Krauss, Ken W.; Bansal, Sheel; Drexler, Judith Z.; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Chimner, Rodney A.; Hogan, Dianna M.; Pindilli, Emily J.; Benscoter, Brian; Tangen, Brian; Kane, Evan S.; Bridgham, Scott D.; Richardson, Curtis J.Diurnal patterns of methane flux from a seasonal wetland: mechanisms and methodology
Methane emissions from wetlands are temporally dynamic. Few chamber-based studies have explored diurnal variation in methane flux with high temporal replication. Using an automated sampling system, we measured methane flux every 2.5 to 4 h for 205 diel cycles during three growing seasons (2013–2015) from a seasonal wetland in the Prairie...
Bansal, Sheel; Tangen, Brian; Finocchiaro, RaymondPrairie Pothole Region wetlands and subsurface drainage systems: Key factors for determining drainage setback distances
Use of agricultural subsurface drainage systems in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America continues to increase, prompting concerns over potential negative effects to the Region's vital wetlands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protects a large number of wetlands through conservation easements that often utilize standard lateral setback...
Tangen, Brian; Wiltermuth, MarkPre-USGS Publications
Cattail (Typha) invasion in North American wetlands
This article is part of the Spring 2020 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter.
Effects of land use on wetland greenhouse gas fluxes and soil properties
This article is part of the Spring 2016 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter.