Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of agricultural activities and best management practices on water quality of seasonal prairie pothole wetlands

  • Published:
Wetlands Ecology and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Long-term effects of within-basin tillage can constrain condition andfunction of prairie wetlands even after uplands are restored. Runoff wassignificantly greater to replicate wetlands within tilled basins with orwithoutvegetated buffer strips as compared to Conservation Reserve Program restorationcontrols with revegetated uplands (REST). However, mean water levels for nativeprairie reference sites were higher than for REST controls, becauseinfiltrationrates were lower for native prairie basins, which had no prior history oftillage. Nutrient dynamics changed more in response to changes in water leveland vegetation structure than to increased nutrient inputs in watershed runoff.Dissolved oxygen increased between dry and wet years except in basins or zoneswith dense vegetation. As sediment redox dropped, water-column phosphatedeclined as phosphate likely co-precipitated with iron on the sediment surfacewithin open-water or sparsely vegetated zones. In response, N:P ratios shiftedfrom a region indicating N limitation to P limitation. REST sites, with densevegetation and low DO, also maintained high DOC, which maintains phosphate insolution through chelation of iron and catalysis of photoreduction. Referencesites in native prairie and restored uplands diverged over the course of thewet-dry cycle, emphasizing the importance of considering climatic variation inplanning restoration efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adomaitis V.A., Kantrud H.A. and Shoesmith J.A. 1967. Some chemical characteristics of aeolian deposits of snow-soil on prairie wetlands. Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Sciences 21: 65–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aerts R., van Logtestijn R., van Staalduinen M. and Toet S. 1995. Nitrogen supply effects on productivity and potential leaf litter decay of Carex species from peatlands differing in nutrient limitation. Oecologia 104: 447–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, and Water Pollution Control Federation 1992. Standard Methods for the Analysis of Water and Wastewater. 18th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barica J. 1990. Seasonal variability of N:P ratios in eutrophic lakes. Hydrobiologia 191: 97–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buffle J., Deladoey P., Zumstein J. and Haerdi W. 1982. Analysis and characterization of natural organic matters in freshwaters. I. Study of analytical techniques. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Hydrologie 44: 325–366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conover W.J. and Iman R.L. 1981. Rank transformations as a bridge between parametric and nonparametric statistics. American Statistician 35: 124–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowardin L.M., Gilmer D. and Mechlin L.M. 1981. Characteristics of central North Dakota wetlands determined from sample aerial photographs and ground study. Wildlife Society Bulletin 9: 280–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieter C.D. 1991. Water turbidity in tilled and untilled prairie wetlands. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 6: 185–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dvorak J. 1969. Horizontal zonation of macrovegetation, water properties and macrofauna in a littoral stand of Glyceria aquatica (L.) Wahlb. in a pond in South Bohemia. Hydrobiologia 35: 17–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebina J., Tsutsui T., and Shirai T. 1983. Simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in water using peroxodisulfate oxidation. Water Research 11: 1721–1726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Euliss N.H. Jr and Mushet D.M. 1996. Water-level fluctuation in wetlands as a function of landscape condition in the prairie pothole region. Wetlands 16: 587–593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francko D.A. 1986. Epilimnetic phosphorus cycling: Influence of humic materials and iron on coexisting major mechanisms. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 43: 302–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galinato M.I. 1985. Seed Germination Studies of Dominant Wetland Species of the Delta Marsh, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA M.S. thesis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleason R.A. 1997. Influence of Agricultural Practices on Sedimentation Rates, Aquatic Invertebrates, and Bird-Use in Prairie Wetlands, MSc, Humboldt State University, Humboldt, California, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleason R.A. and Euliss N.H. Jr 1996. Impact of agricultural land-use on prairie wetland ecosystems: experimental design and overview. Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Science 50: 103–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleason R.A. and Euliss N.H. Jr 1997. Sedimentation of prairie pothole wetlands: the need for integrated research by agricultural and wildlife interests. In: Schaack J. and Anderson S.S. (eds), Water for Agriculture and Wildlife and the Environment Win-Win Opportunities. Proceedings of the U.S. Committee of Irrigation and Drainage. Bismark, North Dakota, USA, pp. 107–14.

  • Gran G. 1952. Determination of the equivalence point in potentiometric titrations. Part II. Analyst 77: 661–671.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grover J.P. 1989. Effects of Si:P supply ratio, supply variability, and selective grazing in the plankton: An experiment with a natural algal and protistan assemblage. Limnology and Oceanography 34: 349–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulati R.D., Siewertsen K. and Van Liere L. 1991. Carbon and phosphorus relationships of zooplankton and its seston food in Loosdrecht lakes. Memorie dell'Istituto italiano di idrobiologia dott. 48: 279–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson M.A. and Butler M.G. 1994. Responses of plankton, turbidity, and macrophytes to bioturbation in a shallow prairie lake. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51: 1180–1188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hessen D.O. 1992. Nutrient element limitation of zooplankton production. American Naturalist 140: 799–814.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillebrand H. 1983. Development and dynamics of floating clusters of filamentous algae. Developments in Hydrobiology 17: 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston C.A. 1991. Sediment and nutrient retention by freshwater wetlands: Effects on surface water quality. CRC Critical Reviews in Environmental Control 21: 491–565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec J.A. 1986. Effects of flooding on dissolved and suspended nutrients in small diked marshes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 43: 1999–2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantrud H.A., Krapu G.L. and Swanson G.A. 1989. Prairie Basin Wetlands of the Dakotas: A Community Profile. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 85(7.28). U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenings J.P. and Hooper F. 1976. The influence of colloidal organic matter on iron-phosphorus cycling in an acid bog lake. Limnology and Oceanography 21: 684–696.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koerselman W. and Mueleman A.F.M. 1996. The vegetation N:P ratio: A new tool to detect the nature of nutrient limitation. Journal of Applied Ecology 33: 1441–1450.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaBaugh J.W. and Swanson G.A. 1992. Changes in chemical characteristics of water in selected wetlands in the Cottonwood Lake Area, North Dakota, U.S.A., 1967–1989. In: Robarts R.D. and Bothwell M.L. (eds), Aquatic Ecosystems in Semi-Arid Regions: Implications for Resource Management. Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Canada NHRI Symposium Series 7., pp. 149–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaBaugh J.W., Winter T.C., Adomaitis V.A. and Swanson G.A. 1987. Hydrology and Chemistry of Selected Prairie Wetlands in the Cottonwood Lake Area, Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1979-82. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1431. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachat Instruments 1988. Methods Manual for the QuikChem Automated Ion Analyzer. Lachat Instruments.

  • LaGrange T.G. and Dinsmore J.J. 1989. Habitat use by mallards during spring migration through central Iowa. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: 1076–1081.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar J.B. 1969. Observations on the ecology of wetland vegetation Saskatoon Wetlands Seminar. Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Report Series No. 6., pp. 49–58.

  • Neill C. 1990a. Effects of nutrients and water levels on emergent macrophyte biomass in a prairie marsh. Canadian Journal of Botany 68: 1007–1014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neill C. 1990b. Nutrient limitation of hardstem bullrush (Scirpus acutus Muhl.) in a Manitoba interlake region marsh. Wetlands 10: 69–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newcombe C.P. and McDonald D.D. 1991. Effects of suspended sediments on aquatic ecosystems. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 11: 72–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinay G. and Naiman R.J. 1991. Short-term hydrologic variations and nitrogen dynamics in beaver-created meadows. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 123: 187–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poiani K.A. and Johnson W.C. 1991. Global warming and prairie wetlands. Potential consequences for waterfowl habitat. Bioscience 41: 611–618.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poiani K.A., Johnson W.C. and Kittel T.G.F. 1995. Sensitivity of a prairie wetland to increased temperature and seasonal precipitation changes. Water Resources Bulletin 31: 283–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter K.G. and Feig Y.S. 1980. The use of DAPI for identifying and counting aquatic microflora. Limnology and Oceanography 25: 943–948.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robel R.J. 1961.Water depth and turbidity in relation to growth of sago pondweed. Journal of Wildlife Management 25: 436–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler D.W., Curtis P.J., Parker B.R. and Stainton M.P. 1996. Consequences of climate warming and lake acidification for UV-B penetration in North American boreal lakes. Nature 379: 705–708.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shoaf W.T. and Lium B.W. 1976. Improved extraction of chlorophyll a and b from algae using dimethyl sulfoxide. Limnology and Oceanography 21: 926–928.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sloan C.E. 1972. Ground-water Hydrology of Prairie Potholes in North Dakota. Geological Survey Professional Paper 585-C. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith V.H. 1982. The nitrogen and phosphorus dependence of algal biomass in lakes: An empirical and theoretical analysis. Limnology and Oceanography 27: 1101–1112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterner R.W. 1993. Daphnia growth on varying quality of Scenedesmus: Mineral limitation of zooplankton. Ecology 74: 2351–2360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart R.E. and Kantrud H.A. 1973. Ecological distribution of breeding waterfowl populations in North Dakota. Journal of Wildlife Management 37: 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talent L.G., Krapu G.L. and Jarvis R.L. 1982. Habitat use of mallard broods in south central North Dakota. Journal of Wildlife Management 46: 629–635.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor D.L. and Detenbeck N.E. 1996. Effects of water level changes on prairie pothole vegetation structure and diversity in the Woodworth Study Area, North Dakota. Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Sciences 50: 110–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S.D.A.-Soil Conservation Service-North Dakota 1988. Filter strip: SCS Practice 393. Technical Guide Notice ND-95. May 1988. US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, North Dakota, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S.EPA. 1983. Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes. EPA-600-/4-79-020. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S.EPA. 1991. The determination of inorganic anions in water by ion chromatography. Method 300.0. Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valiela I., Wilson J., Buchsbaum R., Rietsma C., Bryant D., Foreman K. et al. 1984. Importance of chemical composition of salt marsh litter on decay rates and feeding by detritivores. Bulletin of Marine Science 35: 261–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Valk A.G. and Davis C.B. 1978. The role of seed banks in the vegetation dynamics of prairie glacial marshes. Ecology 59: 322–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel R.G. 1975. Limnology. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel R.G. 1979. The role of the littoral zone and detritus in lake metabolism. Ergeb. Limnol. 13: 145–161.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mid-Continent Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 6201 Congdon Blvd., Duluth, 55804, USA

    Naomi E. Detenbeck, Colleen M. Elonen, Debra L. Taylor, Anne M. Cotter, Frank A. Puglisi & William D. Sanville

Authors
  1. Naomi E. Detenbeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colleen M. Elonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Debra L. Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anne M. Cotter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frank A. Puglisi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. William D. Sanville
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Detenbeck, N.E., Elonen, C.M., Taylor, D.L. et al. Effects of agricultural activities and best management practices on water quality of seasonal prairie pothole wetlands. Wetlands Ecology and Management 10, 335–354 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020397103165

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020397103165

Search

Navigation