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Playas are shallow depressional wetlands and the dominant wetland type in the non-glaciated High Plains of the United States. This region is one of the most intensively cultivated regions in the Western Hemisphere, and playas are profoundly impacted by a variety of agricultural activities. Conservation practices promoted through Farm Bills by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that influence playas and surrounding catchments impact ecosystem functions and related services provided by wetlands in this region. As part of a national assessment, we review effects of agricultural cultivation and effectiveness of USDA conservation programs and practices on ecosystem functions and associated services of playas....
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Hydrologic budgets for depressional wetlands require estimates of runoff from watersheds. In the Southern High Plains, where there is little elevation relief, ground surveys provide accurate watershed estimates but are time-consuming and costly. Estimates can be derived at lower cost from DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) and topographical maps, but data resolution and interpretation introduces errors. Other computational methods provide alternatives for estimating watershed area. Two computational methods based on longitudinal distances and elevations are described; minimal distance method and weighted minimal distance method. Twenty playas were ground surveyed to obtain baseline estimates of watershed area. Watershed...
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The majority of the High Plains region is comprised of shortgrass prairie. Within this shortgrass prairie region playas are the dominant wetland type and hydrological feature. Playas are shallow depressional recharge wetlands each existing within their individual catchments. The High Plains is also one of the most intensively cultivated regions in the western hemisphere. Therefore playas are directly influenced by agricultural practices and USDA conservation programs. The primary ecosystem services provided by playas include biotic habitat flood-water storage and
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More than 25,000 playa wetlands are embedded in the Southern High Plains (SHP), USA. The SHP is one of the most intensively cultivated areas in the world and, as a result, the function of playas has been altered by deposition of eroded sediments. We monitored water levels in 33 playas in summer 2003 to examine the influence of land use (cropland vs. native grassland) and playa characteristics (playa area, watershed size, starting water level, volume loss, sediment depth, percent playa vegetation cover, and soil texture zone) on water loss rate and hydroperiod (consecutive days a playa held measurable surface water). Multiple regression models (selected using Akaike’s Information Criterion) indicated that land use,...
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Playa wetlands are the major habitat for amphibians in the Southern Great Plains, USA.... | Article from Copeia June 4, 2008
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