Sheel Bansal is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Dr. Bansal research experience covers a wide range of topics such as tree carbon balance at alpine-treeline (Wyoming), fertility effects on boreal plant ecophysiology (Sweden), drivers of grass invasion in sagebrush-steppe (Oregon), and drought tolerance of temperate forest trees (Washington). He is now studying wetland biogeochemistry in the Prairie Pothole Region. Much of the research in his lab is focused on understanding the underlying suite of abiotic and biotic mechanistic processes that influence greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage in wetlands. His lab is developing new, high-tech equipment to more efficiently quantify the immense spatial and temporal variability of these natural processes. Dr. Bansal is also working with internal and external partners to develop spatially explicit, landscape-scale models to estimate regional carbon budgets for prairie pothole wetlands. These data and models provide DOI land managers and policy makers with information needed to understand, monitor, and anticipate changes in wetland carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions under future management, land-use and climate scenarios.
Professional Experience
2015-Present: Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Plant Physiological Ecology, Idaho State University, 2008
M.A., Conservation Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 2000
B.A., Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 1999
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Global Lake and Ecological Observatory Network
Journal of Environmental Quality (associate editor)
Rangeland Ecology and Management
Society of Wetland Scientists
Science and Products
Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America’s largest wetland complex
Modeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions
Towards critical white ice conditions in lakes under global warming
Lessons learned from wetlands research at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1967–2021
Using a vegetation index to assess wetland condition in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America
Classifying mixing regimes in ponds and shallow lakes
Prairie wetlands as sources or sinks of nitrous oxide: Effects of land use and hydrology
Land management strategies influence soil organic carbon stocks of prairie potholes of North America
Distributions of native and invasive Typha (cattail) throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of North America
FLUXNET-CH4: A global, multi-ecosystem database and analysis of methane seasonality from freshwater wetlands
Gap-filling eddy covariance methane fluxes: Comparison of machine learning model predictions and uncertainties at FLUXNET-CH4 wetlands
Wetlands
Fish and Wildlife seasonal and temporary wetland assessment
Wetland carbon storage and flux in the Prairie Pothole Region
Mechanisms, models, and management of invasive species and soil biogeochemical process in prairie pothole wetlands
Mechanisms, methods, models and management of soil biogeochemical processes in prairie-pothole wetlands
Water and ice characteristics from Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Barnes County, North Dakota, USA, 2021
Methane flux model for wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America: Model input data and programming code
Dissolved oxygen, temperature, and light measured along the water-depth profile of wetlands in North Dakota, USA, 2019
Properties of ice cores from Hobart Lake, North Dakota, USA, 2021
Carbon dioxide flux, vegetation, and soils data from artificial ponds in North Dakota, USA, 2021
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
Genetic and morphologic characteristics of Typha (cattail) taxa of the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States (2018)
Temperature and light measurements along the water-depth profile of ponds in North Dakota, USA, 2019
Greenhouse gas fluxes, dissolved gas concentrations, and water properties of laboratory mesocosms
Diurnal patterns of methane flux from a depressional, seasonal wetland
Soil properties and greenhouse gas fluxes of Prairie Pothole Region wetlands: a comprehensive data release
Dissolved greenhouse gas concentrations and fluxes from Wetlands P7 and P8 of the Cottonwood Lake Study area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 2015
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 34
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 wetlaAuthorsSheel Bansal, Max Post van der Burg, Rachel Fern, John W. Jones, Rachel Lo, Owen P. McKenna, Brian Tangen, Zhen Zhang, Robert A. GleasonModeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions
Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The eddy covariance method provides robust measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CH4, but interpreting its spatiotemporal variations is challenging due to the co-occurrence of CH4 production, oxidation, and transport dynamics. Here, we estimate these three processes using a data-model fusion approach across 25 wetlandsAuthorsMasahito Ueyama, Sarah Knox, Kyle B. Delwiche, Sheel Bansal, William J. Riley, Denis Baldocchi, Takashi Hirano, Gavin McNicol, Karina Schafer, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, Robert B. Jackson, Kuang-Yu Chang, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Ankur R. Desai, Sebastien Gogo, Hiroki Iwata, Minseok Kang, Ivan Mammarella, Matthias Peichl, Oliver Sonnentag, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Youngryel Ryu, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Mathias Goeckede, Adrien Jacotot, Mats B. Nilsson, Torsten SachsTowards critical white ice conditions in lakes under global warming
The quality of lake ice is of uppermost importance for ice safety and under-ice ecology, but its temporal and spatial variability is largely unknown. Here we conducted a coordinated lake ice quality sampling campaign across the Northern Hemisphere during one of the warmest winters since 1880 and show that lake ice during 2020/2021 commonly consisted of unstable white ice, at times contributing upAuthorsGesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Ulrike Obertegger, Hugo Rudebeck, Ellinor Jakobsson, Joachim Jansen, Galina Zdorovennova, Sheel Bansal, Benjamin Block, Cayelan C. Carey, Jonathan P. Doubek, Hilary Dugan, Oxana Erina, Irina Fedorova, Janet Fischer, Laura Grinberga, Hans-Peter Grossart, Külli Kangur, Lesley B. Knoll, Alo Laas, Fabio Lepori, Jacob Meier, Nikolai Palshin, Mark Peternell, Merja Pulkkanen, James A. Rusak, Sapna Sharma, Danielle Wain, Roman ZdorovennovLessons 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 (2022AuthorsDavid M. Mushet, Ned H. Euliss, Donald O. Rosenberry, James W. LaBaugh, Sheel Bansal, Zeno F. Levy, Owen P. McKenna, Kyle I. McLean, Christopher T. Mills, Brian P. Neff, Richard D. Nelson, Matthew J. Solensky, Brian TangenUsing 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, methAuthorsBrian Tangen, Sheel Bansal, Seth Jones, Cami S. Dixon, Amanda M. Nahlik, Edward S. DeKeyser, Christina L. M. Hargiss, David M. MushetClassifying mixing regimes in ponds and shallow lakes
Lakes are classified by thermal mixing regimes, with shallow waterbodies historically categorized as continuously mixing systems. Yet, recent studies demonstrate extended summertime stratification in ponds, underscoring the need to reassess thermal classifications for shallow waterbodies. In this study, we examined the summertime thermal dynamics of 34 ponds and shallow lakes across temperate NortAuthorsMeredith Holgerson, David Richardson, Joseph Roith, Lauren E Bortolotti, Kerri Finlay, Daniel J. Hornbach, Kshitij Gurung, Andrew Ness, Mikkel R. Andersen, Sheel Bansal, Jacques Finlay, Jacob Cianci-Gaskill, Shannon Hahn, Benjamin Janke, Cory P. McDonald, Jorrit Mesman, Rebecca L. North, Cassandra Roberts, Jon N. Sweetman, Jackie WebbPrairie 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 havAuthorsBrian Tangen, Sheel BansalLand 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 stocAuthorsSheel Bansal, Brian Tangen, Robert A. Gleason, Pascal Badiou, Irena F. CreedDistributions 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-generationAuthorsBrian Tangen, Sheel Bansal, Joanna R. Freeland, Steven E. Travis, Jen D. Wasko, Terence P. McGonigle, L. Gordon Goldsborough, Keira Gow, Joy E. Marburger, Jacob MeierFLUXNET-CH4: A global, multi-ecosystem database and analysis of methane seasonality from freshwater wetlands
Methane (CH4) emissions from natural landscapes constitute roughly half of global CH4 contributions to the atmosphere, yet large uncertainties remain in the absolute magnitude and the seasonality of emission quantities and drivers. Eddy covariance (EC) measurements of CH4 flux are ideal for constraining ecosystem-scale CH4 emissions due to quasi-continuous and high-temporal-resolution CH4 flux meaAuthorsKyle B. Delwiche, Sarah Knox, Avni Malhotra, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Gavin McNicol, Sarah Feron, Zutao Ouyang, Dario Papale, Carlo Trotta, Eleonora Canfora, You-Wei Cheah, Danielle Christianson, Ma. Carmelita R. Alberto, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, Dennis Baldocchi, Sheel Bansal, David P. Billesbach, Gil Bohrer, Rosvel Bracho, Nina Buchmann, David I. Campbell, Gerardo Celis, Weinan Chen, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Higo J Dalmagro, Sigrid Dengel, Ankur R. Desai, Matteo Detto, Han Dolman, Elke Eichelmann, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Daniela Famulari, Kathrin Fuchs, Mathias Goeckede, Sébastien Gogo, Mangaliso J Gondwe, Jordan P. Goodrich, Pia Gottschalk, Scott L. Graham, Martin Heimann, Manuel Helbig, Carole Helfter, Kyle S. Hemes, Takashi Hirano, David Hollinger, Lukas Hörtnagl, Hiroki Iwata, Adrien Jacotot, Joachim Jansen, Gerald Jurasinski, Minseok Kang, Kuno Kasak, John King, Janina Klatt, Franziska Koebsch, Ken Krauss, Derrick Y.F. Lai, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella, Luca B Marchesini, Giovanni Manca, Jaclyn H Matthes, Trofim Maximov, Lutz Merbold, Bhaskar Mitra, Timothy H. Morin, Eiko Nemitz, Mats B. Nilsson, Shuli Niu, Walter C. Oechel, Patricia Y. Oikawa, Keisuke Ono, Matthias Peichl, Olli Peltola, Michele L. Reba, Andrew D. Richardson, William Riley, Benjamin RK Runkle, Youngryel Ryu, Torsten Sachs, Ayaka Sakabe, Camilo Rey Sanchez, Edward A. Schuur, Karina VR Schäfer, Oliver Sonnentag, Jed P. Sparks, Ellen Stuart-Haëntjens, Cove Sturtevant, Ryan C. Sullivan, Daphne J. Szutu, Jonathan E Thom, Margaret S. Torn, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Jessica Turner, Masahito Ueyama, Alex C. Valach, Rodrigo Vargas, Andrej Varlagin, Alma Vazquez-Lule, Joseph G. Verfaillie, Timo Vesala, George L Vourlitis, Eric Ward, Christian Wille, Georg Wohlfahrt, Guan Xhuan Wong, Zhen Zhang, Donatella Zona, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, Robert B. JacksonGap-filling eddy covariance methane fluxes: Comparison of machine learning model predictions and uncertainties at FLUXNET-CH4 wetlands
Time series of wetland methane fluxes measured by eddy covariance require gap-filling to estimate daily, seasonal, and annual emissions. Gap-filling methane fluxes is challenging because of high variability and complex responses to multiple drivers. To date, there is no widely established gap-filling standard for wetland methane fluxes, with regards both to the best model algorithms and predictorsAuthorsJeremy Irvin, Sharon Zhou, Gavin McNicol, Fred Lu, Vincent Liu, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Zutao Ouyang, Sara Helen Knox, Antje Lucas-Moffat, Carlo Trotta, Dario Papale, Domenico Vitale, Ivan Mammarella, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, Anand Avati, Dennis Baldocchi, Sheel Bansal, Gil Bohrer, David I. Campbell, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Higo J. Dalmagro, Kyle B. Delwiche, Ankur R. Desai, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Sarah Feron, Mathias Goeckede, Martin Heimann, Manuel Helbig, Carole Helfter, Kyle S. Hemes, Takashi Hirano, Hiroki Iwata, Gerald Jurasinski, Aram A.M. Kalhori, Andrew Kondrich, Derrick Y. F. Lai, Annalea Lohila, Avni Malholtra, Lutz Merbold, Bhaskar Mitra, Andrew Ng, Mats B. Nilsson, Asko Noormets, Matthias Peichl, A. Camilo Rey-Sanchez, Andrew D. Richardson, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Karina V. R. Schäfer, Oliver Sonnentag, Ellen Stuart-Haëntjens, Cove Sturtevant, Masahito Ueyama, Alex C. Valach, Rodrigo Vargas, George L. Vourlitis, Eric Ward, Guan Xhuan Wong, Donatella Zona, Ma. Carmelita R. Alberto, David P. Billesbach, Gerardo Celis, Han Dolman, Thomas Friborg, Kathrin Fuchs, Sebastien Gogo, Mangaliso J. Gondwe, Jordan P. Goodrich, Pia Gottschalk, Lukas Hörtnagl, Adrien Jacotot, Franziska Koebsch, Kuno Kasak, Regine Maier, Timothy H. Morin, Eiko Nemitz, Walter C. Oechel, Patricia Y. Oikawa, Keisuke Ono, Torsten Sachs, Ayaka Sakabe, Edward A. Schuur, Robert Shortt, Ryan C. Sullivan, Daphne J. Szutu, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Andrej Varlagin, Joseph G. Verfaillie, Christian Wille, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, Robert B. JacksonWetlands
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 GoaAuthorsBrian Tangen, Sheel Bansal - Science
Fish and Wildlife seasonal and temporary wetland assessment
The Prairie Pothole Region supports some of the most productive wetlands in the world for waterfowl. Up to 90% of seasonal and temporary wetlands have been lost in areas of the PPR due to the conversion of grasslands to croplands and the drainage of wetlands. Department of the Interior Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) and National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in North Dakota, South Dakota, and eastern...Wetland carbon storage and flux in the Prairie Pothole Region
Wetlands significantly contributes to regional, national and global carbon budgets. Because prairie-pothole wetlands have 1) highly productive vegetation and 2) low rates of carbon decomposition, they are ideal systems for accumulating and storing carbon in the soil. However, because prairie-pothole wetlands are located in areas of intense agricultural activity, this important pool of stored...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...Mechanisms, methods, models and management of soil biogeochemical processes in prairie-pothole wetlands
Previous work has shown that Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) wetlands are biogeochemical hotspots, with rapid turnover and transport rates of greenhouse gases (GHG). However, mechanisms controlling GHG fluxes are not well understood, leading to high uncertainty in model estimates of these processes. Additionally, unprecedented changes to land-use and cover in the PPR have potential to alter hydrology... - Data
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 determinationMethane 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; plDissolved 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 naturalProperties 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 ofCarbon 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 estimateDissolved 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 StudGenetic 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 understooTemperature 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 ponGreenhouse 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.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 (2013-2015). Data were collected frSoil 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 Dakota, North DakotDissolved 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 Cotto - Multimedia
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*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