1. Minnesota’s Depressional Wetland Condition Assessment (a.k.a. ‘Status & Trends of Wetland Quality in Minnesota’) John Genet 6 th Annual Minnesota Wetlands Conference January 30 th 2013

2. Target Population Survey Design Site Evaluation Results Assessment Results – Statewide Condition & Stressors – Ecoregion Condition & Stressors Next Steps Overview Report available on web: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=17741

3. Natural Basins vs. Manmade Basins

4. Sample Frame: Minnesota’s Wetland Quantity Survey Plots ~ 5,000 one square mile plots statewide Wetland Quantity Survey Classification System: Wetland Types: Forested Scrub/Shrub Emergent Unconsolidated Bottom Aquatic Bed Cultivated Other: Deep Water Natural Agricultural Silvicultural Urban Rural Development

5. Rotating Ecoregion Schedule Mixed Wood Shield Mixed Wood Plains Temperate Prairies 2007 (n=61) 2008 (n=62) 2009 (n=59) Indicators of Condition*: Plant IBI Invert IBI Indicators of Stress*: Water variables Total P NO 3 + NO 2 Kjeldahl N Chloride Transparency Wetland Functions: MnRam, version 3.1 *Regionally calibrated

6. Biological Indicators Standardized Dipnet sweeps Full sample pick in lab Most IDs to genus, snails & leeches to species Common metrics: ETO, % Dominant 3 taxa, Total taxa, %Tolerant, # Scraper genera Macroinvertebrate IBIPlant IBI Sample plots (100 m 2 ) in representative area of wetland Species & cover estimates Common metrics: # Vascular genera, # Sensitive taxa, Carex spp. cover

7. Assessment Criteria/Benchmarks Condition or Stressor Indicator 50 th 75 th 5 th 95 th 25 th Least-disturbed Reference Sites Percentile Condition Category Good Poor Fair Stressor Category Low Low High Med OR

8. Desktop & Field Reconnaissance

9. Site Evaluation Results Evaluation Status 2007 Mixed Wood Shield 2008 Temperate Prairies 2009 Mixed Wood Shield Target 616259 Non-Target 821 Landowner Denial* 7127 Physical Barrier* 003 Total 769590 * Missing Completely at Random (MCAR) assumption not violated in any ecoregion

10. Statewide Condition Plant IndicatorInvertebrate Indicator Poor 46% Fair 25% Good 29% Poor 20% Fair 33% Good 47% n = 182

12. Statewide 158,435 Natural 107,812 Man-made 50,623 % Wetland Basins 020406080100 Macroinvertebrate IBI Plant IBI Invert IBI Not Assessed < 1% Poor 45% Fair 25% Good 30% Poor 11% Fair 32% Good 57% Not Assessed < 1% Poor 48% Fair 24% Good 28% Poor 38% Fair 35% Good 27% Small (< 1 ha) Medium (1 – 5 ha) Large (>5 ha) 116,55130,27911,605 Plant IBI Invert IBI Poor 50% Fair 26% Good 24% Poor 34% Fair 20% Good 46% Not Assessed 1% Poor 41% Fair 17% Good 41% Poor 23% Fair 34% Good 43% Poor 11% Fair 32% Good 57% Not Assessed 4% Poor 11% Fair 28% Good 57% Man-Made vs. Natural Wetland Size Categories

13. Indicators of Stress Low Medium High Not Assessed Stressor Levels Statewide Results

14. Invasive Plants Mixed Wood Plains Emergent Zone Not Assessed < 1% Temperate Prairies 35% 21% 44% 56% 5% 39% Mixed Wood Shield 6% 24% 70% 020406080100 > 50% 20-50% < 20 % % Cover of Invasive Species: % Wetland Basins 27% 14% 59% Manmade Not Assessed < 1% 31% 22% 47% Natural

15. Extent & Relative Risk of Stressors Relative Risk : the likelihood of having poor biology when specific stressors are high compared to having poor biological condition when stressors are low. Nitrate + Nitrite N Kjeldahl Nitrogen Transparency Invasive Plants Total Phosphorus Chloride % Wetlands with High Levels of each Stressor 01020304050 Relative Risk to Macroinvertebrates 12345 3.2 3.9 4.0 3.7 1.01.52.02.53.0 Relative Risk to Plant Community 1.5 2.2 1.7 1.8 Extent of StressorRelative Risk

16. % Wetland Basins Nitrate+Nitrite Nitrogen Kjeldahl Nitrogen Transparency Total Phosphorus Chloride 010203040506070 Relative Risk to Macroinvertebrates Relative Risk Extent of StressorsRelative Risk to Plants 0.00.51.0 1.5 2.0 Relative Risk 02468 10 Could not be determined % Wetland Basins 020406080 Kjeldahl Nitrogen Transparency Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen Total Phosphorus Chloride Extent of Stressors 0.00.51.01.52.02.5 3.0 Relative Risk to Macroinvertebrates Relative Risk Relative Risk to Plants 0.00.51.01.52.02.5 Kjeldahl Nitrogen Transparency Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen Total Phosphorus Chloride Extent of Stressors % Wetland Basins 010203040 Relative Risk to Macroinvertebrates Relative Risk to Plants Relative Risk 0246810 01234 Could not be determined

17. Wetland Functions % Wetlands 020406080 100 Maintenance of Characteristic Wildlife Habitat Maintenance of Characteristic Amphibian Habitat Water Quality--Downstream Flood Attenuation Statewide 158,435 Natural 107,812 Man-made 50,623 Low 18% Medium 37% High 45% Medium 61% High 39% Low 1% Medium 58% High 41% Medium 31% High 69% Low 35% Medium 45% High 20% Medium 83% High 17% Medium 60% High 40% Medium 77% High 23%

18. Assess contribution of regional variation between years on the results 3 sites/ecoregion sampled each year of the survey Analyzed data with repeated-measures ANOVA Neither IBI was significant at either spatial scale Lesson learned: random selection of these sites is not ideal for this purpose Interannual Variability 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 200720082009 macroinvertebrate IBI plant IBI 0 20 40 60 80 100 200720082009 Mixed Wood Shield AB 0 20 40 60 80 100 200720082009 Temperate Prairies 0 20 40 60 80 100 200720082009 Mixed Wood Plains Mean (±SE) IBI scores from annual sites (n = 9).

19. Status of MN Depressional Wetlands ~160,000 occur in MN (~50,000 are manmade) Veg community healthy in ~30% of these wetlands; varied regionally Invert community healthy in ~50% of these wetlands; varied regionally and by origin (natural vs. manmade) Cl & P are stressors to biological health of depressional wetlands Majority of depressional wetlands receive high or medium functional ratings; natural basins outperform manmade for most functions

20. Depressional Wetland Condition Assessment: Round Two 100 sites sampled statewide Data collected in summer 2012 Dropped MnRAM as an indicator Compare TP and MWP ecoregions to T 1 Conduct survey every 5 yrs. Report completed in 2014

21. MPCA led random survey 150 sites sampled statewide All wetland types included Floristic Quality Assessment Data collected in summers of 2011 & 2012 Conduct survey every 5 yrs. Intensification of National Wetland Condition Assessment Baseline report completed in 2015 Beyond Depressional Wetlands: Minnesota Wetland Condition Assessment

22. Acknowledgements Depressional Survey MPCA Staff: Mark Gernes, Mike Bourdaghs, Joel Chirhart, Harold Wiegner, Dan Helwig EPA Office of Research & Development: Tony Olsen, Tom Kincaid Interagency Project Steering Committee EPA Wetland Demonstration Pilot Grant

23. Questions? John.Genet@state.mn.us