Importance of individual species of predators on nesting success of ducks in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region

We followed 3094 upland nests of several species of ducks. Clutches in most nests were lost to predation. We related daily nest predation rates to indices of activity of eight egg-eating predators, precipitation during the nesting season, and measures of wetland conditions. Activity indices of red fox (Vulpes vulpes), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) activity were positively correlated, as were activity indices of coyote (Canis latrans), Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii), and black-billed magpie (Pica pica). Indices of fox and coyote activity were strongly negatively correlated (r = −0.51), as were those of badger (Taxidea taxus) and skunk (r = −0.46). Nest predation rates in the early part of the breeding season were positively related to indices of fox, American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and badger activity. Predation rates in the latter part of the season were positively related to indices of fox and skunk activity. Predation rates on early-season nests were lower in areas and years in which larger fractions of seasonal wetlands contained water. For late-season nests, a similar relationship held involving semipermanent wetlands. We suspect that the wetland measures, which reflect precipitation during some previous period, also indicate vegetation growth and the abundance of buffer prey, factors that may influence nest predation rates.

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Spatial distribution of agricultural pesticide use and predicted wetland exposure in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134765 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 718 ◽

pp. 134765 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Egina Malaj ◽

Karsten Liber ◽

Christy A. Morrissey

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Pesticide Use ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Canadian Prairie ◽

Agricultural Pesticide

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Corrigendum to “Predicting wetland contamination from atmospheric deposition measurements of pesticides in the Canadian Prairie Pothole region” [Atmos. Environ. 45 (2011) 7227–7234]

Atmospheric Environment ◽

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.03.065 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 754

Author(s):

Paul G. Messing ◽

Annemieke Farenhorst ◽

Don T. Waite ◽

D.A. Ross McQueen ◽

James F. Sproull ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Deposition ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Atmos Environ ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Canadian Prairie

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Long-Term Response of Northern Pintails to Changes in Wetlands and Agriculture in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region

Journal of Wildlife Management ◽

10.2307/3802932 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 993 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Kevin M. Podruzny ◽

James H. Devries ◽

Llwellyn M. Armstrong ◽

Jay J. Rotella

Keyword(s):

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Canadian Prairie ◽

Northern Pintails ◽

Term Response

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Predicting wetland contamination from atmospheric deposition measurements of pesticides in the Canadian Prairie Pothole region

Atmospheric Environment ◽

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.08.074 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 45 (39) ◽

pp. 7227-7234 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Paul G. Messing ◽

Annemieke Farenhorst ◽

Don T. Waite ◽

D.A. Ross McQueen ◽

James F. Sproull ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Deposition ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Canadian Prairie

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The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duz060 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 122 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa H Elliott ◽

Lawrence D Igl ◽

Douglas H Johnson

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Individual Species ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Wetland Area ◽

Habitat Area ◽

Landscape Scales ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Recent work has suggested that a tradeoff exists between habitat area and habitat heterogeneity, with a moderate amount of heterogeneity supporting greatest species richness. Support for this unimodal relationship has been mixed and has differed among habitats and taxa. We examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States at both local and landscape scales. We tested for area–habitat heterogeneity tradeoffs in wetland bird species richness, the richness of groups of similar species, and in species’ abundances. We then identified the habitat relationships for individual species and the relative importance of wetland area vs. habitat heterogeneity and other wetland characteristics. We found that habitat area was the primary driver of species richness and abundance. Additional variation in richness and abundance could be explained by habitat heterogeneity or other wetland and landscape characteristics. Overall avian species richness responded unimodally to habitat heterogeneity, suggesting an area–heterogeneity tradeoff. Group richness and abundance metrics showed either unimodal or linear relationships with habitat heterogeneity. Habitat heterogeneity indices at local and landscape scales were important for some, but not all, species and avian groups. Both abundance of individual species and species richness of most avian groups were higher on publicly owned wetlands than on privately owned wetlands, on restored wetlands than natural wetlands, and on permanent wetlands than on wetlands of other classes. However, we found that all wetlands examined, regardless of ownership, restoration status, and wetland class, supported wetland-obligate birds. Thus, protection of all wetland types contributes to species conservation. Our results support conventional wisdom that protection of large wetlands is a priority but also indicate that maintaining habitat heterogeneity will enhance biodiversity and support higher populations of individual species.

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Assessing the Importance of Potholes in the Canadian Prairie Region under Future Climate Change Scenarios

Water ◽

10.3390/w10111657 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1657 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ameer Muhammad ◽

Grey Evenson ◽

Tricia Stadnyk ◽

Alaba Boluwade ◽

Sanjeev Jha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Prairie Pothole Region ◽

Swat Model ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Scenarios ◽

Isolated Wetlands ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Canadian Prairie ◽

Study Region

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of Canada contains millions of small isolated wetlands and is unique to North America. The goods and services of these isolated wetlands are highly sensitive to variations in precipitation and temperature. We evaluated the flood proofing of isolated wetlands (pothole wetlands) under various climate change scenarios in the Upper Assiniboine River Basin (UARB) at Kamsack, a headwater catchment of the Lake of the Prairies in the Canadian portion of the PPR. A modified version of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was utilized to simulate projected streamflow under the potential impacts of climate change, along with changes to the distribution of pothole wetlands. Significant increases in winter streamflow (~200%) and decreases (~11%) in summer flow, driven by changes in future climates, were simulated. Simulated changes in streamflow resulting from pothole removal were between 55% for winter and 15% for summer, suggesting that climate will be the primary driver in the future hydrologic regime of the study region. This research serves as an important guide to the various stakeholder organizations involved in quantifying the aggregate impacts of pothole wetlands in the hydrology of the Canadian Prairie Region.

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