The Prairie Marsh Monitoring Program
Wetlands are characteristic of the North American prairie and
parkland landscape. About 10,000 years ago, when continental ice
sheets receded from this region, they left the landscape pocked with
countless shallow depressions commonly referred to as 'prairie
potholes'. These potholes, permanently or periodically flooded with
water, exist as wetlands. Wetlands provide essential ecological
goods and they also offer valuable habitat for a diverse array of
wildlife.
The same glacial event that created the region's pothole wetlands
has contributed to the nutrient rich soils of the North American
prairie and parkland. Favourable soil conditions, coupled with a
suitable climate, have made this region particularly amenable to
human settlement. As a result, the prairie and parkland region has
experienced dramatic changes since the turn of the 20th century.
Among these changes has been the considerable loss and degradation
to wetland habitat, so much so that wetland losses range 50-90% in
some areas. Unfortunately, the threat of wetland loss and
degradation continues today.
The prairie pothole region has undergone extensive change in the
past century. (K. Brewster)
Despite the remarkable landscape-level changes that have been
made to prairie and parkland habitats, the area remains among North
America's most important regions for birdlife. Pothole wetlands and
adjacent uplands are particularly renowned for their significance to
support populations of breeding and migrating waterfowl. Because of
this, the region has earned the moniker 'the duck factory'. It is
intuitive that many of the same features that make this region
valuable to waterfowl also make it important to 'waterbirds', an
assemblage that includes grebes, herons, rails (the so-called 'marsh
birds'), as well as terns, cranes, and others. Over 30 species of
waterbirds breed within the prairie and parkland; many of these
species are thought to reach their highest densities within the
region. Although there is an innate recognition of this region's
importance to waterbirds, information regarding population
distributions, species-habitat relationships, species abundance, and
population trends is limited or completely lacking for many of these
species. This gap in our understanding exists because annual or
periodic surveys for waterbirds have not been thorough, nor have
they occurred consistently. As a result, management agencies are
limited in their ability to assess the state of waterbird
populations and conservation partners are hindered in their efforts
to further develop conservation planning.
In 2007, Bird Studies Canada met with members of the Prairie
Habitat Joint Venture to discuss a collaborative effort to address
information deficiencies for wetland-associated birds in the prairie
and parkland region. As a result of these discussions, and with
support from Wildlife Habitat Canada, the Prairie and Parkland Marsh
Monitoring Program (Prairie MMP) was established. Currently program
activities are geared toward determining the link(s) between
waterbird species occurrence and habitat characteristics at various
spatial scales. This information will serve efforts to conserve and
manage habitats for wetland-associated birds, and represent initial
and vital steps toward the development and implementation of a
long-term waterbird monitoring program in the region.
Sora rails are commonly encountered during marsh bird surveys. (J.
Conkin)
Opportunities
exist to participate in this Prairie Marsh Monitoring
Program!
Prairie Marsh Monitoring Program
Bird Studies Canada
115 Perimeter Road
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4
1-306-249-2894
prairieprograms@birdscanada.org
