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Brian Tangen

Brian Tangen is an Ecologist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and works at the Lincoln, Nebraska duty station.

I began my professional career processing and identifying aquatic invertebrates and conducting a wide variety of field work for Northern Prairie's aquatics lab. I have worked in a variety of roles at Northern Prairie performing research focused on carbon and greenhouse gas cycling in wetland systems, wetland hydrology, wetland management, and effects of climate- and land-use change.

Professional Experience

  • Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Education and Certifications

  • M.S., Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 2001

  • B.A., Biology, Valley City State University, 1999

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Society of Wetland Scientists

Science and Products

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Aerial photo of the prairie pothole region of North American

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...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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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...
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Map of Prairie Pothole Region

Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)

Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Fisheries Program (unpublished), Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
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Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)

Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
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Photo of a drainage pipe being installed in wetland catchment.

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 easements...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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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 easements...
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Photo showing the collection of aquatic invertebrate samples.

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 identified...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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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 identified...
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Water and ice characteristics from Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Barnes County, North Dakota, USA, 2021

This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort to refine knowledge pertaining to the origin, composition, and seasonality of dissolved organic matter in lakes. This work was part of an international collaborative effort with the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). Water samples were collected monthly during 2021 and shipped to GLEON for determination
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Methane flux model for wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America: Model input data and programming code

This data release presents input data for plot- and landscape-scale models of Prairie Pothole Region wetland methane emissions as a function of explanatory variables and remotely sensed predictors. Field data for the plot- and landscape-scale models span the years 2003-2016 and 2005-2016, respectively. The data release also includes R programming code to run the generalized additive model (GAM; pl
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Dissolved oxygen, temperature, and light measured along the water-depth profile of wetlands in North Dakota, USA, 2019

This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort to assess factors that regulate ecosystem metabolism 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, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and light were measured throughout the water-depth profile of two natural
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Properties of ice cores from Hobart Lake, North Dakota, USA, 2021

This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort (Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network [GLEON] IceBlitz) to enhance understanding of the spatial and temporal variation in global lake ice properties. During January and February of 2021 ice cores were extracted from Hobart Lake, North Dakota, USA and characterized following standard procedures. Characteristics of
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Carbon dioxide flux, vegetation, and soils data from artificial ponds in North Dakota, USA, 2021

This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort to assess the carbon balance of recently exposed (i.e., no vegetation cover) wetland sediments. This work was part of an international collaborative effort associated with the Dryflux II project. During June and July 2021, data were collected from three artificial ponds located near Jamestown, North Dakota, to estimate
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Dissolved oxygen concentrations, light penetration, and temperature along the water-depth profile of wetlands P1 and P8 of the Cottonwood Lake Study area in North Dakota, USA, 2019

This data release presents data that were collected as part of a larger effort to assess factors that regulate metabolism in global lakes, via an international collaboration with the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). From May to August 2019, dissolved oxygen and light penetration were measured throughout the water-depth profile of two small inland wetlands at Cottonwood Lake Stud
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Soil profile characteristics of Prairie Pothole Region wetland catchments, 2004

A study was conducted during 2004 to examine soil carbon storage of Prairie Pothole Region wetland catchments. These data represent the soil profile descriptions performed during that study; the remaining data were published previously (https://doi.org/10.5066/F7KS6QG2). Soil profile descriptions were performed at 270 temporary, seasonal, and semipermanent wetland catchments distributed throughout
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Genetic and morphologic characteristics of Typha (cattail) taxa of the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States (2018)

Cattail (Typha) is a common plant found throughout the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United State. Typha x glauca, a hybrid between Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia, is considered an invasive species that has spread across the PPR, negatively impacting the regions important wetlands and other aquatic habitats. The distribution of the various cattail taxa, however, is not well understoo
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

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 artificial pon
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

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 support t
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Greenhouse gas fluxes, dissolved gas concentrations, and water properties of laboratory mesocosms

These data describe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, dissolved GHG concentrations, and mesocosm conditions (vegetation, hydrologic phases, ambient conditions) of a controlled, laboratory study.
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Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

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 lateral setb
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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex

Natural methane (CH4) emissions from aquatic ecosystems may rise because of human-induced climate warming, although the magnitude of increase is highly uncertain. Using an exceptionally large CH4 flux dataset (~19,000 chamber measurements) and remotely sensed information, we modeled plot- and landscape-scale wetland CH4 emissions from the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), North America’s largest wetla
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021

Depressional wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America have a long history of investigation owing to their importance in maintaining migratory-bird populations, especially waterfowl. One area of particularly intensive study is the Cottonwood Lake study area in Stutsman County, North Dakota. Studies at the Cottonwood Lake study area began in 1967 and continue through the present (2022
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Species of conservation concern

The ecosystems of the Williston Basin provide direct and indirect benefits to society. These benefits include carbon sequestration, flood control, nutrient rich soils for agricultural productivity, and habitat for wildlife. This chapter’s main focus is on the effects of energy development on species that occupy the ecosystems in the Williston Basin. We compiled a list of documented species of cons
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Using a vegetation index to assess wetland condition in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

Wetlands deliver a suite of ecosystem services to society. Anthropogenic activities, such as wetland drainage, have resulted in considerable wetland loss and degradation, diminishing the intrinsic value of wetland ecosystems worldwide. Protecting remaining wetlands and restoring degraded wetlands are common management practices to preserve and reclaim wetland benefits to society. Accordingly, meth
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Prairie wetlands as sources or sinks of nitrous oxide: Effects of land use and hydrology

National and global greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets are continually being refined as data become available. Primary sources of the potent GHG nitrous oxide (N2O) include agricultural soil management and burning of fossil fuels, but comprehensive N2O budgets also incorporate less prominent factors such as wetlands. Freshwater wetland GHG flux estimates, however, have high uncertainty, and wetlands hav
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Land management strategies influence soil organic carbon stocks of prairie potholes of North America

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) wetlands in the central plains of Canada and the United States are highly variable due to natural variation in biota, soils, climate, hydrology, and topography. Land-use history (cropland, grassland) and land-management practices (drainage, restoration) also affect SOC stocks. We conducted a region-wide assessment of wetland SOC stoc
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Distributions of native and invasive Typha (cattail) throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America has experienced extreme changes in wetland habitat due to proliferation of invasive plants. Typha × glauca is a highly competitive hybrid between native T. latifolia and non-native T. angustifolia, and it is likely the predominant taxon in PPR wetlands. Genetics-based studies are limited, and distributions are poorly known for the first-generation
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Wetlands

During the last decades, soil organic carbon (SOC) attracted the attention of a much wider array of specialists beyond agriculture and soil science, as it was proven to be one of the most crucial components of the earth’s climate system, which has a great potential to be managed by humans. Soils as a carbon pool are one of the key factors in several Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goa
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Preserving soil organic carbon in prairie wetlands of central North America

Wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in the Great Plains of central North America are numerous, densely distributed, and have highly productive plant and animal communities (Photo 49). When in a natural, unaltered condition, these wetlands store relatively large amounts of organic carbon in their soils (Photo 50). Human alterations, such as extensive drainage and land-use conversion for ag
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Great Plains

No abstract available.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

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 characterized by anaerobic processes, and wetland vegetation e
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Soil 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 compared to other ecosystems, but SOC accumulation
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Tangen, B.A., Butler, M.G., and Ell, M.J., 2003, Weak correspondence between macroinvertebrate assemblages and land use in Prairie Pothole Region wetlands, USA: Wetlands, v. 23, p. 104–115.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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Cattail (Typha) invasion in North American wetlands

This article is part of the Spring 2020 issue of the Earth Science Matters Newsletter. 

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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. 

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Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government