Prairie Pothole Region landscape showing high wetland density (IMAGE)
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Most efforts to protect and restore wetlands mistakenly focus on preserving only total wetland area, with no consideration of ecosystem services provided by different wetland types, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Applications last month, shows wetland loss follows a strong pattern, with smaller, isolated wetlands being lost in much greater numbers than larger wetlands. Researchers used high-resolution remote sensing images, elevation data, and the US National Wetlands Inventory dataset to compare historical wetland areas with today's boundaries in the Des Moines Lobe (Iowa) portion of the Prairie Pothole Region.
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Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
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