A Test of Vegetation-related Indicators of Wetland
Quality in the Prairie Pothole Region
By
Harold A. Kantrud & Wesley E. Newton
National Biological Service
Northern Prairie Science Center
8711 37th St. SE
Jamestown, North Dakota 58401-7317,USA
Abstract - This study was part of an effort by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency to quantitatively assess the environmental quality or "health"
of wetland resources on regional and national scales. During a two-year pilot
study, we tested selected indicators of wetland quality in the U.S. portion
of the prairie pothole region (PPR). We assumed that the amount of cropland
versus non-cropland (mostly grassland) in the plots containing these basins
was a proxy for their quality. We then tested indicators by their ability to
discriminate between wetlands at the extremes of that proxy. Amounts of standing
dead vegetation were greater in zones of greater water permanence. Depth of
litter was greater in zones of greater water permanence and in zones of basins
in poor-quality watersheds. Amounts of unvegetated bottom were greater in basins
in poor-quality watersheds; lesser amounts occurred in all wetlands during a
wetter year. Greater amounts of open water occurred during a wetter year and
in zones of greater water permanence. When unadjusted for areas (ha) of communities,
plant taxon richness was higher in wet-meadow and shallow-marsh zones in good-quality
watersheds than in similar zones in poor-quality watersheds. Wet-meadow zones
in good-quality watersheds had greater numbers of native perennials than those
in poor-quality watersheds. This relation held when we eliminated all communities
in good-quality watersheds larger than the largest communities in poor-quality
watersheds from the data set. We conclude that although amounts of unvegetated
bottom and plant taxon richness in wet-meadow zones were useful indicators of
wetland quality during our study, the search for additional such indicators
should continue. The value of these indicators may change with the notoriously
unstable hydrological conditions in the PPR. Most valuable would be indicators
that could be photographed or otherwise remotely sensed and would remain relatively
stable under various hydrological conditions. An ideal set of indicators could
detect the absence of stressors, as well as the presence of structures or functions,
of known value to major groups of organisms.
This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication
0977):
Kantrud Harold A., and Wesley E. Newton. 1996. A test of vegetation-related
indicators of wetland quality in the prairie pothole region. Journal of
Aquatic Ecosystem Health Management 5:177-191.
This resource should be cited as:
Kantrud Harold A., and Wesley E. Newton. 1996. A test of vegetation-related
indicators of wetland quality in the prairie pothole region. Journal of
Aquatic Ecosystem Health Management 5:177-191. Jamestown, ND:
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wetlands/vegindic/index.htm
(Version 17DEC1997).
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