Recovery of bird and amphibian assemblages in restored wetlands in Prairie Canada

Wetland loss to agriculture in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada has been widespread. Monitoring of wetlands restored via ditch plug to determine wildlife response has been minimal. In Camrose, Alberta (1999 and 2000) and Foam Lake, Saskatchewan (2000), I conducted surveys of restored and natural (reference) wetlands to assess wildlife use of restored wetlands. I compared bird assemblages in 97 restored and 85 natural wetlands using modified point counts. In 30 (15 restored) of these wetlands, I compared plant communities using quadrat-sampling techniques and amphibian abundance via trapping. Plant communities and amphibian abundance were similar in restored and natural wetlands in both provinces. In Alberta, bird assemblages were comparable in both wetland types. Although avian species richness was reduced in Saskatchewan restored wetlands, composition of wetland-dependent species was similar. Results indicate that restoration should continue to play a role in future wetland conservation strategies in Canada.