Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID ND_2023_Kaemingk

Detecting Scale-Specific Changes in Wetland Water Quality and Ecological Communities

Institute: North Dakota
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2023-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $2,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $2,991

Principal Investigators: Mark Kaemingk

Project Summary: North Dakota hosts a range of waterbodies from small shallow ponds to large permanent lakes. Climate and human activities, like agriculture, determine water levels and subsequently the species found there. Low water levels limit habitat and expanding water increases habitat. When water levels fluctuate, the aquatic regime or communities can shift. We know small waterbodies function differently than larger waterbodies. For example, small waterbodies may host different species than large waterbodies. We will use existing methods to explore the relationship between waterbody size and aquatic communities. We will identify important thresholds along a waterbody size gradient to determine specific waterbody size scales (i.e., small, large, etc.) and analyze associated water chemistry, macroinvertebrates, and fishes within each scale. We will then evaluate changes in aquatic communities during high and low water level years. Our project will contribute to understanding the impact of water level changes at a large spatial scale.