North Dakota Wetlands: Changes over Five Years in Prairie Pothole Wetlands and a Description of Vegetative and Soil Properties in a North Dakota Fen

Abstract

Wetlands provide ecosystem services such as water quality, flood attenuation, primary productivity, biodiversity, and provide habitats for wildlife. Land use conversions from natural to agricultural and urban landscapes threaten the quantity and quality of wetlands globally. Monitoring remaining wetlands has become increasingly important as degradation persists, particularly in agriculturally productive regions like the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North Dakota. Two studies were completed in the summers of 2016 and 2017 to contribute to efforts to monitor wetlands in North Dakota. The first study aimed to assess the overall condition of prairie pothole wetlands across North Dakota using the North Dakota Rapid Assessment Method. Data from 2016 was compared to similar data collected in 2011 to determine how wetland condition has changed between the two years. The second study aimed to describe the vegetative and soil properties in a natural fen in central North Dakota.