Brian A Tangen

Conservation easements in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota: characteristics of wetland catchments and key factors for determination of drainage setback distances

This data release includes characteristics of wetland catchments associated with U.S. Fish and Wildlife conservation easement lands located in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. Characteristics include wetland catchment areas, slope length, land use, soil mapping unit, and slope grades of representative soils. County and ecoregion also are included. Summary data pertaining to lateral setback distances, or drainage setbacks, also are presented by county and soil mapping unit for a range of subsurface drainage system characteristics (i.e., drain pipe depth and diameter). Additionally, calculated variables used for data analyses and presentation in the manuscript associated with this data release are included.

Categories: Data; Tags: North Dakota, USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC), conservation easements, environment, hydrology, All tags... inlandWaters, lateral effect distance, subsurface drainage systems, wetland ecosystems, Fewer tags

The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) conducts integrated research to fulfill the Department of the Interior’s responsibilities to the Nation’s natural resources. Located on 600 acres along the James River Valley near Jamestown, North Dakota, the NPWRC develops and disseminates scientific information needed to understand, conserve, and wisely manage the Nation’s biological resources. Research emphasis is primarily on midcontinental plant and animal species and ecosystems of the United States.

Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service

Our research focuses on the abiotic and biotic factors that regulate greenhouse gas fluxes of PPR wetlands and uplands to reduce the uncertainties associated with temporal and spatial variability that characterizes these wetland systems. Our studies range from plot-level experiments in wetland catchments situated in grasslands and agricultural fields, to regional- and national-scale modeling to predict changes in soil processes associated with climate and land use. We use a combination of commercial and custom-made sampling devices to facilitate the collection of temporally-intensive data. The ability to extrapolate plot-level fluxes and to assess potential effects of climate and land-use change on wetland ecosystems...

Categories: Project

Greenhouse gas flux from cropland and restored wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region

It has been well documented that restored wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America do store carbon. However, the net benefit of carbon sequestration in wetlands in terms of a reduction in global warming forcing has often been questioned because of potentially greater emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). We compared gas emissions (N2O, CH4, carbon dioxide [CO2]) and soil moisture and temperature from eight cropland and eight restored grassland wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region from May to October, 2003, to better understand the atmospheric carbon mitigation potential of restored wetlands. Results show that carbon dioxide contributed the most (90%)...

Greenhouse gas fluxes of a shallow lake in south-central North Dakota, USA

Greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes of aquatic ecosystems in the northern Great Plains of the U.S. represent a significant data gap. Consequently, a 3-year study was conducted in south-central North Dakota, USA, to provide an initial estimate of GHG fluxes from a large, shallow lake. Mean GHG fluxes were 0.02 g carbon dioxide (CO2) m−2 h−1, 0.0009 g methane (CH4) m−2 h−1, and 0.0005 mg nitrous oxide (N2O) m−2 h−1. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 displayed temporal and spatial variability which is characteristic of aquatic ecosystems, while fluxes of N2O were consistently low throughout the study. Comparisons between results of this study and published values suggest that mean daily fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Long Lake were...