Wetland Soils of the Prairie Potholes

Abstract

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the wetlands of the prairie pothole region (PPR). The two important hydrologic factors are climate and topography that explain the existence of wetlands in any landscape. PPR wetland soil development is based on hydrologic processes and conditions created by a climatic gradient as impacted by topography, sediment lithology, and stratigraphy. The most important systems used to classify wetlands in the PPR include the United States Fish and Wildlife system; the Stewart and Kantrud system; and an extension of the Stewart and Kantrud system that incorporates hydrology and landscape position. The dominant water quality considerations for wetlands in the PPR are increased sedimentation from cultivation; and salinity associated with hydric soils, groundwater, and surface water. Wetland soil properties that have the greatest influence on current land use include soil moisture dynamics, soil aeration, and salinity. Using principal components analysis (PCA), Richardson and Bigler found that principal component factors reflecting salinity, organic matter accumulation, calcium carbonate dynamics, and texture, respectively in order of importance, explained most of the observed variations in PPR wetlands. In the PPR, three soil types have been observed in nonfen wetland edges: the Calciaquoll without salinity and gypsum; the Calciaquoll with salinity and gypsum; and the Natraquoll.