MICHELLE WHEELERKEYSTONE COLLEGE

OCT. 9 , 2008

Prairie Pothole

What is a Prairie Pothole?

Prairie Potholes

Sh

allo

w w

etla

nd

s that

can

be p

erm

an

en

t, sa

tura

ted

for 6

mon

ths

to a

rid m

ost o

f the ye

ar

Dire

ct pre

cipita

tion

, ru

noff

from

su

rrou

nd

ing

flats &

g

rou

nd

wate

r

Where can you find them?

Diverse Flora

Flo

atin

g a

nd

su

bm

erg

ed

pla

nts –

Inclu

des: w

ate

r lilies,

pon

dw

eed

s, sou

thern

naia

d

an

d d

uck

weed

in th

e o

pen

w

ate

r zon

e

Em

erg

en

t zon

e –

Inclu

des: ca

ttails,

bu

lrush

es, b

ur h

ead

s, arro

wh

ead

s an

d co

mm

on

re

ed

Wood

y zon

e –

Inclu

des: tre

es a

nd

shru

bs

like b

lack

willo

w,

bu

tton

bu

sh, ra

ttle b

ush

an

d co

ffee b

ean

, bacch

aris

an

d C

hin

ese

tallo

w-tre

e

Diverse Fauna P

rovid

es g

reat va

riety o

f h

ab

itats.

Rep

tiles a

nd

A

mp

hib

ian

s –In

clud

ing

: allig

ato

rs, sn

akes, m

occa

sins, slid

ers,

frog

s…

Bird

s –

Inclu

din

g: ra

ils, cran

es,

wad

ing

bird

s, du

cks, co

ots,

com

mon

moorh

en

s, snip

e,

bla

ckb

irds a

nd

gra

ckle

s, sh

ore

bird

s like k

illdeer,

marsh

an

d se

dg

e w

ren

s, sw

am

p sp

arro

ws, a

nd

m

an

y mig

ratin

g so

ng

bird

s

Alm

ost a

ll resid

en

t an

imals u

se th

e p

on

ds

to d

rink.

Du

ring

dro

ug

ht, w

ildlife

co

nce

ntra

te n

ear th

e m

ore

p

erm

an

en

t poth

ole

Threats

Histo

rically:

Ag

ricultu

re

Tod

ay: U

rban

Sp

raw

l

Fed

era

l wetla

nd

reg

ula

tory

pro

tectio

ns h

as n

ot

pre

ven

ted

the lo

ss of th

ese

w

etla

nd

s.

40

to 5

0 p

erce

nt

rem

ain

un

-dra

ined

Human Values

Eco

Tou

rism – B

ird

Watch

ing

Son

gb

irds, S

hore

bird

s, W

ate

rfow

lR

esid

en

t Wild

life

Wate

r an

d F

ora

ge fo

r L

ivesto

ck

Any Questions?