Owen P. McKenna is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. He is currently a Visiting Scientist with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.
His research is focused studying how changes in climate and land use can alter the hydrology and geochemistry of prairie-pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna has explored a regional climate-induced ecohydrological state shift in wetland ecosystems through analysis of long-term data. He also helped in development and application of the Pothole Hydrology Linked Systems Simulator (PHyLiSS), which is an integrated hydro-geochemical model for prairie pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna is currently using PHyLiSS to assist land managers in estimating the future impacts of climate and land-use change on critical migratory waterfowl habitat. Additionally, Dr. McKenna is using the APEX model to integrate prairie-pothole wetlands into U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation planning efforts.
Professional Experience
2022 to present: Visiting Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
2020 to present: Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
2016 to 2020: Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 2016
M.S., Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 2014
B.S., Biology w/Ecology emphasis, Loyola University Chicago, 2011
Science and Products
Climate-Driven Connectivity Between Prairie-Pothole and Riparian Wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed: Implications for Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality
The Impact of Future Changes in Climate on Breeding Waterfowl Pairs in the US Prairie Pothole Region
The Impact of Future Climate on Wetland Habitat in a Critical Migratory Waterfowl Corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Climate-driven state shifts in the Prairie Pothole Region: assessing future impacts relevant to the management of wetland habitats critical to waterfowl
Development, application, and refinement of a systems model for prairie wetlands
Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats
Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex
Maximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands
The potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data
Development of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports
Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021
The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Limited shifts in the distribution of migratory bird breeding habitat density in response to future changes in climate
Upland burning and grazing as strategies to offset climate-change effects on wetlands
Development of a novel framework for modeling field-scale conservation effects of depressional wetlands in agricultural landscapes
Alternative stable states in inherently unstable systems
Synergistic interaction of climate and land-use drivers alter the function of North American, Prairie-pothole Wetlands
Climate-driven state shifts in the Prairie Pothole Region: Assessing future impacts relevant to the management of wetland habitats critical to waterfowl
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
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Climate-Driven Connectivity Between Prairie-Pothole and Riparian Wetlands in the Upper Mississippi River Watershed: Implications for Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality
Wetland conservation in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB) is a priority for Federal, State, NGO, and Tribal land managers to support migratory bird habitat in Minnesota and Iowa. These wetlands, known as depressional wetlands, also provide ecosystem services associated with flood water storage and enhancing down-stream water quality by storing and processing nutrients. Understanding how conThe Impact of Future Changes in Climate on Breeding Waterfowl Pairs in the US Prairie Pothole Region
The Prairie Pothole Region is recognized as one of the most critical breeding habitats for waterfowl in North America and is used by an estimated 50–80 % of the continent’s breeding duck population. The ongoing acquisition program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System has conserved approximately 1.3 million hectares of critical breeding-waterfowl habitat. This curre...The Impact of Future Climate on Wetland Habitat in a Critical Migratory Waterfowl Corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
The Prairie Pothole Region is recognized as one of the most productive areas for waterfowl in North America and supports an estimated 50–80 % of the continent’s duck population. This important habitat is threatened by climate change and continued land-use change. The goal of this research is to establish a framework for assessing future impacts of climate and land-use change on Prairie Pothole weClimate-driven state shifts in the Prairie Pothole Region: assessing future impacts relevant to the management of wetland habitats critical to waterfowl
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) covers parts of five states and three Canadian provinces. The region contains millions of wetlands that annually produce 50-80% of the continent’s duck population. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of waterfowl habitat from the central PPR to the southeast PPR where the majority of wetlands have been drained. However...Development, application, and refinement of a systems model for prairie wetlands
NPWRC is developing, applying, and refining an integrated, process-based, systems model for prairie-pothole wetlands to facilitate forecasts of how climate and land-use change will affect wetland processes and biota. The Pothole Hydrology Linked System Simulator model (PHyLiSS) simulates changes in hydrology, water chemistry, plant communities, invertebrates, and other biota as a result of altered...Climate-Driven Shifts in Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Assessing Future Impacts to Critical Waterfowl Habitats
The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is an expansive region that covers parts of five Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces. This region contains millions of wetlands in which waterfowl breed and from which 50-80% of the continent's migratory ducks originate each year. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of suitable waterfowl breedin - Publications
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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 wetlaMaximizing the water quality benefits of wetlands in croplands
Key Takeaways Nutrient loads from croplands continue to negatively affect surface water quality, despite considerable investments in and adoption of agricultural conservation practices aimed at reducing nutrient losses. Numerous studies indicate that effective restoration and management of wetlands in and adjacent to cultivated croplands could reduce surface and subsurface nutrient loads to downstThe potential of Prairie Pothole wetlands as an agricultural conservation practice: A synthesis of empirical data
Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across watersheds, andDevelopment of an online reporting format to facilitate the inclusion of ecosystem services into Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program reports
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. The Secretary of Agriculture is required to submit an annual report to Congress on Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program agreements that, among other things, reports on the progress made towards fulfilling commitments outlined in the agreements. The U.S. GeologicalLessons 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 (2022The impact of future climate on wetland habitat in a critical migratory waterfowl corridor of the Prairie Pothole Region
Depressional wetlands are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, so understanding how wetland inundation dynamics respond to changes in climate is essential for describing potential effects on wildlife breeding habitat. Millions of depressional basins make up the largest wetland complex in North America known as the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). The wetland ecosystems thaLimited shifts in the distribution of migratory bird breeding habitat density in response to future changes in climate
Grasslands, and the depressional wetlands that exist throughout them, are endangered ecosystems that face both climate and land-use change pressures. Tens of millions of dollars are invested annually to manage the existing fragments of these ecosystems to serve as critical breeding habitat for migratory birds. The North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is a region that contains millions of deUpland burning and grazing as strategies to offset climate-change effects on wetlands
Wetland ecosystems perform a multitude of services valued by society and provide critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Despite their importance, wetlands have been lost to different local, regional, and global drivers. Remaining wetlands are extremely sensitive to changing temperature and precipitation regimes. Management of grassland areas in wetland catchments may be an effectDevelopment of a novel framework for modeling field-scale conservation effects of depressional wetlands in agricultural landscapes
The intermixed cropland, grassland, and wetland ecosystems of the upper mid-western United States combine to provide a suite of valuable ecological services. Grassland and wetland losses in the upper midwestern United States have been extensive, but government-funded conservation programs have protected and restored hundreds of thousands of acres of wetland and grassland habitat in the region. TheAlternative stable states in inherently unstable systems
Alternative stable states are nontransitory states within which communities can exist. However, even highly dynamic communities can be viewed within the framework of stable‐state theory if an appropriate “ecologically relevant” time scale is identified. The ecologically relevant time scale for dynamic systems needs to conform to the amount of time needed for a system's community to complete an entSynergistic interaction of climate and land-use drivers alter the function of North American, Prairie-pothole Wetlands
Prairie-pothole wetlands provide the critical habitat necessary for supporting North American migratory waterfowl populations. However, climate and land-use change threaten the sustainability of these wetland ecosystems. Very few experiments and analyses have been designed to investigate the relative impacts of climate and land-use change drivers, as well as the antagonistic or synergistic interacClimate-driven state shifts in the Prairie Pothole Region: Assessing future impacts relevant to the management of wetland habitats critical to waterfowl
Embedded within the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) are millions of small, depressional wetlands that annually support 50–80% of the continent’s waterfowl production. We recently assembled evidence that demonstrates a change towards a wetter climate that is driving a shift in the state of the region’s wetland ecosystems. This ecological state-shift has been primarily the result of a suNon-USGS Publications**
McKenna, O. P., & Sala, O. E. (2018). Playa‐wetlands effects on dryland biogeochemistry: space and time interactions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JG004176McKenna, O.P., and O.E. Sala (2017), Groundwater recharge in desert playas: current rates and future effects of climate change. Environmental Research Letters, doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9eb6\McKenna, O. P., and O. E. Sala (2016), Biophysical controls over concentration and depth distribution of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in desert playas, J. Geophys. Res. Biogeosci., 121, 3019–3029, doi: 10.1002/2016JG003545Lishawa, S. C., Treering, David. J., Vail, L. M., McKenna, O.P., Grimm, E. C. and Tuchman, N. C. (2013), Reconstructing plant invasions using historical aerial imagery and pollen core analysis: Typha in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Diversity Distrib., 19: 14–28. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2012.00929.x**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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