Landscape-Level Planning for Conservation of Wetland Birds in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region

There are many ongoing, extensive, and well-defined wildlife conservation issues in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. Substantial programs have been developed to address these conservation issues in the United States portion of the PPR. Loss and degradation of wetland and upland habitats are the primary conservation issues affecting wetland birds in the PPR. Identification of priority conservation areas within the PPR is important given limited conservation funds and the large area, diversity of landcover, and variation in bird distribution and density within the region. Land use and conservation issues vary across the PPR. Some physiographic regions such as the Agassiz Lake Plain along the Minnesota/North Dakota border are heavily cultivated and have virtually no wetlands or grasslands remaining. Landscapes such as these require extensive habitat restoration, although high land prices and competing land uses limit what can be accomplished. Other parts of the PPR have considerable areas of intact wetlands and/or grasslands that are used for cattle ranching or operations that include both cattle and crop agriculture. These landscapes are more conducive to conservation of existing habitat, which is invariably cheaper than habitat restoration; however, some conservation programs have funding dedicated to habitat restoration. Therefore, all landscapes and treatments are considered when planning for conservation action.