Evolving Management Paradigms on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lands in the Prairie Pothole Region

This article was published online January 11, 2019 in the journal Rangelands.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2018.12.004

Abstract

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages nearly 1 million acres of wetlands and grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region.

•  Initial management paradigms focused on nesting cover for waterfowl and other birds, which led to idling prairies, and seeding former croplands to non-native plants.

•  Current paradigms encompass a broader focus on ecological integrity and biological diversity, resulting in increased defoliation of prairies and seeding former croplands to native plants.

Keywords: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Prairie Pothole Region; land management; waterfowl; fire; grazing

Citation

Dixon, Cami, Sara Vacek, and Todd Grant. "Evolving Management Paradigms on US Fish and Wildlife Service Lands in the Prairie Pothole Region." Rangelands (2019).

Corresponding author: Cami Dixon (Cami_dixon “at” fws.gov)