Prairie Potholes

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Prairie Potholes

• Wetlands of the Mid-West

Allison Samuel
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Prairie potholes

• According to the EPA, they are fresh water
  marshes formed in the depressions of the
  landscape by receding glaciers

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Prairie Potholes
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Location

• Prairie potholes are found in a small part of the
  upper Midwest
• With a larger portion located in the middle
  region of Canada

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Characteristics

• Movement of water dependent on the water table
• forming rich soils which are deposited as water
  flows though the pothole

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Characteristics continued

• Contribute to warm summers that are usually cool
• Form many shallow lakes and ponds
• Habitat for 50 of the nations migratory birds
• They absorb flood waters

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Biota

• The potholes are important breeding grounds for
  waterfowl
• The potholes are habitat for mammals such as
• beavers
• coyote
• red fox
• raccoon
• American badger
• striped skunk
• mink
• ermine
• long-tailed weasel

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Biota
Mallard duck
beavers
wood duck
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Biota
long-tailed weasel
ermine
American badger
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Status

• Prairie potholes have been negatively affected by
  agriculture.
• They have been altered or destroyed altogether.
• About 50 of this type of wetland habitat has
  been destroyed
• Still it is considered one of the most important
  wetlands in the world

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Threats

• Agriculture - destruction for farmland
• Global Change - causing the potholes to dry up
• Urbanization - the increase of human population

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Special Thanks to

• www.epa.gov
• www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu