Seasonal and Intra-Event Nutrient Levels in Farmed Prairie Potholes of the Des Moines Lobe

Martín, Alexander; Soupir, Michelle L.; Kaleita, Amy L.

doi:10.13031/trans.13414

Cited by 13 publications

(29 citation statements)

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“…The overall goal of this work is to document and assess the inundation behavior of typical closed depressions in the southern PPR. Related studies in these same depressions address water quality patterns in flooded farmed potholes (Martin et al, 2019), as well as the role of tillage practices and land cover on the frequency of inundation (Upadhyay et al, 2019). This study provides insight into the differences in pothole hydrology with differing levels of drainage, recognizing that there is a diversity of drainage circumstances for potholes in this region.…”

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confidence: 94%

Inundation Patterns of Farmed Pothole Depressions with Varying Subsurface Drainage

Martín¹,

Kaleita²,

Soupir³

2019

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HighlightsFarmed pothole depressions in the Des Moines Lobe were observed to fill due to runoff and shallow subsurface flow.Six of the eight observed potholes flooded for five or more days some time during the two years of observation.Subsurface drainage and surface inlets reduced but did not prevent yield-limiting flooding in the observed potholes. Abstract. The prairie pothole region (PPR) ranges from central Iowa to the northwest into Montana and south central Canada, totaling around 700,000 km2. This area contains millions of potholes, or enclosed topographical depressions, which often inundate with rainfall. Many are located in areas that have been converted to arable agricultural land through installation of artificial drainage. However, even with drainage, potholes will pond or have saturated soil conditions during and after significant rain events. The portion of the PPR that extends into Iowa is known as the Des Moines Lobe. In this two-year study, surface water depth data were collected hourly from eight prairie potholes in the Des Moines Lobe in central Iowa to determine the surface water hydrology. These potholes included surface and subsurface drained row crops and undrained retired land, allowing for drainage comparisons. Inundation lasted five or more days at least once at six of the eight potholes, including four potholes with surface inlets and subsurface drainage, which resulted in four of fourteen growing seasons not producing a yield in part of the pothole. Water balances of four different drainage intensities showed increased infiltration due to subsurface drainage and up to 78% of outflow due to surface inlet drainage. Overall, drainage decreased the number of average inundation days, but heavy precipitation events still caused lengthy inundation periods that resulted in crop loss. Keywords: Farmed wetlands, Prairie pothole, Tile drainage, Water balance.

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confidence: 94%

Inundation Patterns of Farmed Pothole Depressions with Varying Subsurface Drainage

Martín¹,

Kaleita²,

Soupir³

2019

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“…In a complementary but distinct study, Martin et al (2019b) analyzed two years of daily water quality and depth data from eight prairie potholes to evaluate how the resilience of pothole hydrology and treatment capacity varied across seasonal and event scales. Due to their locations on farmlands, the potholes received nutrient-rich agricultural runoff.…”

Section: Wetland Resilience To Agricultural Land Use-driven Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Wetland Ecosystem Resilience: Protecting and Restoring Valuable Ecosystems

Messer¹,

Douglas-Mankin²,

Nelson³

et al. 2019

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HighlightsWe provide context and perspectives on articles in the Wetland Ecosystem Resilience collection.Insights gained on wetland resilience to sea-level rise and climate change, land use and drainage, and nutrients. Abstract. The objective of this article is to introduce a collection of articles that explore current research and scientific thought on wetland ecosystem resilience. The collection contains articles on wetland resilience to climate change, agricultural land use-driven change, and recreational land use, along with evaluations of wetland resilience through high-resolution monitoring and modeling tools. Wetland settings in the U.S. span tidal marshes and coastal plain non-riverine wetlands in North Carolina, prairie potholes in Iowa, Appalachian floodplain wetlands, and floating treatment wetlands in the Midwest. The studies in this collection found vertical accretion rates of 0.7 to 4.0 mm year-1 in a tidal marsh, a wide range of potential wetland hydroperiod responses to climate change, substantial decreases in inundation period, crop yield, and surface-water nitrate (but increases in phosphorus) in artificially drained potholes, and nitrate removal in carbon-amended floating treatment wetlands. Further work is needed to better understand how to design and enhance wetland systems in agricultural regions, better preserve wetland ecosystem services in areas affected by land use and climate change, and provide technical standards for the wide range of designs currently used for wetland treatment systems. Keywords: Agricultural wetlands, Resiliency, Temporal data, Treatment wetlands, Water chemistry, Water quality, Water treatment

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“…Closed surface depressions in agricultural fields (i.e., farmed potholes) are subfield scale topographic features where temporary, seasonal, or semipermanent ponds may form (Martin et al, 2019; Stewart & Kantrud, 1971; Upadhyay et al, 2018). These depressions characterize the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the Upper Midwest United States, which extends from central Iowa, northwest to Alberta, Canada, and covers more than 70 Mha, with individual depressions ranging anywhere from 1 to over 6 ha in size (Martin et al, 2019; Miller et al, 2009; van der Valk, 2005; van Meter & Basu, 2015). Within the agriculturally dominated Des Moines Lobe of Iowa, these depressions account for more than 2000 km 2 (7.3%) of the total 31,000 km 2 study region, with approximately five depressions every square kilometer (McDeid et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planting miscanthus instead of row crops may increase the productivity and economic performance of farmed potholes

et al. 2021

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Climate change projections indicate that precipitation events in the central United States are expected to become more intense, more frequent in the spring, and less frequent in the summer. Such a precipitation shift could adversely impact crop yields, especially in subfield areas known as farmed potholes, which are highly susceptible to flooding and ponding, and crop death is more likely to occur, particularly early in the growing season. This suggests that planting alternative crops, such as more flood tolerant perennials, in these areas may be a more profitable option. Using observations of crop growth and yield along with ponding depth of a specific field and farmed pothole in the central United States, we developed a spatially explicit version of the agroecosystem model Agro‐IBIS to estimate water depth and crop yield. After evaluating the model, we conducted a case study for a specific farmed pothole with a range of future precipitation scenarios with Agro‐IBIS to simulate the effects of contemporary (2002–2016) and future precipitation on a conventional corn/soybean (Zea mays L. and Glycine max Merr.) rotation and an alternative perennial miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deu.) cropping system. The depth and frequency of ponding increased under most future precipitation scenarios. The corn/soybean rotation had greater total loss (i.e., no yield) on average (>30%) for all scenarios in comparison to miscanthus (<10%). Under one future precipitation scenario with increased spring precipitation, both the corn/soybean rotation and miscanthus simulations showed an increase in yield. A simple budget analysis indicated that it is more profitable to plant miscanthus instead of corn or soybeans where yields in farmed potholes are consistently poor. Our findings show that potholes can be individually modeled, and their influence on yield can be quantified for use in future management decisions dictated by change in climate.

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Seasonal and Intra-Event Nutrient Levels in Farmed Prairie Potholes of the Des Moines Lobe

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

Inundation Patterns of Farmed Pothole Depressions with Varying Subsurface Drainage

Inundation Patterns of Farmed Pothole Depressions with Varying Subsurface Drainage

Wetland Ecosystem Resilience: Protecting and Restoring Valuable Ecosystems

Planting miscanthus instead of row crops may increase the productivity and economic performance of farmed potholes

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