Millions of ducks rely on wetlands in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region (USPPR) for habitat. In turn, waterfowl hunting generates substantial jobs and revenue for local communities.
Owen McKenna, a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, set out to understand how environmental change in the USPPR may impact duck populations. He and the research team, supported in part by the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, built on existing research and adopted a comprehensive, scenario-based approach designed to enhance wetland-waterfowl conservation planning. In the MW CASC’s virtual seminar on Monday, September 28, McKenna will present recently published findings that underscore the benefits of interdisciplinary efforts that can inform complex conservation decision-making in the face of environmental uncertainty.
Speaker
Owen P. McKenna is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. His research is focused on studying how changes in climate and land use can alter the hydrology and geochemistry of prairie-pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna has explored a regional climate-induced ecohydrological state shift in wetland ecosystems through analysis of long-term data. He also helped in development and application of the Pothole Hydrology Linked Systems Simulator (PHyLiSS), which is an integrated hydro-geochemical model for prairie pothole wetlands. Dr. McKenna is currently using PHyLiSS to assist land managers in estimating the future impacts of climate and land-use change on critical migratory waterfowl habitat. Additionally, Dr. McKenna is using the APEX model to integrate prairie-pothole wetlands into U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation planning efforts.