The Prairie & Parkland 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.
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 (PPMMP) 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.
Who can participate?
Anyone who is interested in wildlife is invited to participate
with a project that will benefit efforts to conserve of wetlands and
their inhabitants. Participants conduct surveys of marsh birds to
collect data that is essential to aiding our understanding of these
species and to developing tools that help to guide habitat
conservation efforts. PPMMP participants range from the amateur
naturalist to the professional biologist. Although it is not
necessary to be an ace-birder to take part in the PPMMP, the marsh
bird survey is not suitable for novices. As a general guideline,
participants need to be able to identify about 60 species of
wetland-associated birds by sight and about half these by sound.
To assist survey preparation, each PPMMP participant receives a
training kit that includes:
- Detailed instructions for conducting bird surveys and
describing habitat conditions
- A training CD that includes vocalizations of bird species
most likely to be encountered in or near marshes
- A broadcast CD that is used during the survey
The training CD is designed to be a useful refresher to fine-tune
your skills and provides additional tips for the identification of
wetland-associated birds. Included on the training CD is a short
recording of a marsh so that participants can test their auditory
bird identification skills. A key of species included on the marsh
recording will accompany this recording.
What is involved in a Prairie & Parkland Marsh Monitoring
Program survey?
PPMMP surveys consist of 15-minute visits to specified locations,
referred to as survey stations. During each station visit, all birds
that are seen or heard are documented. Survey stations are placed
along a survey route; a route may contain as few as three or as many
as eight survey stations.
Participants will be responsible for surveying one or more
route(s). To survey one route requires a time investment of about 12
hours each year, although folks are encouraged to take on as many
routes as they wish.
Survey routes are surveyed three times each year between May 22nd
and June 30th. Minimally, surveys at a given station must be
conducted at least 4 days apart, although it is ideal to have visits
spaced further (8-12 days) apart.
Surveys are conducted in the early morning or in the evening.
Favourable weather conditions are preferred for surveying (strong
winds and rain should be avoided).
Describing marsh habitat
At the end of the survey season, participants have the option to
conduct Habitat Descriptions of marshes/stations along their route.
Habitat descriptions will allow us to develop a better understanding
of habitat features that may be important to wetland birds; this
information will contribute to the development of better management
practices and ultimately the conservation of these ecosystems.
Completion of the Marsh Habitat Description requires basic knowledge
of plants commonly found in local wetland habitats. Participation in
this part of the program is suggested only for those who are
comfortable with their plant identification skills.
Where are surveys conducted?
The PPMMP has study locations
throughout the Prairie Provinces. Because the main focus of the
PPMMP is to understand how species occurrence relates to habitat
characteristics, study sites are currently limited to locations
where sufficient information of wetland and surrounding habitat is
available; habitat information currently used by the PPMMP has been
generously provided by the Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl
Research. We hope to expand our operating area in the near future so
the Marsh Monitoring Program is more easily accessible from a
broader range of locations.
Prairie marshes need your help! To register or to receive
more information, contact us at the following address:
Prairie & Parkland Marsh Monitoring Program
Bird Studies Canada
115 Perimeter Road
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0X4
1-306-249-2894
prairieprograms@birdscanada.org
