September Seminar: Building Resilience in America's "Duck Factory"

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.