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Estimating rates of wetland loss using power-law functions

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Abstract

Estimates of rates of wetland loss are important for understanding whether wetland policies meet their objectives. In Alberta, a no-net-area loss interim wetland policy was introduced in 1993. We tested the effectiveness of this interim wetland policy. A historical wetland inventory was established by generating a wetland inventory using digital topographic analysis and calculating a wetland-area vs. wetland-frequency power-law function from these data. Permanent wetland loss (topographic depression no longer exists) was calculated as the deviation from the historical wetland-inventory power-law function (representing the pre-settlement wetland inventory) and was estimated at 32.8% in number and 2.10% in area, with uncertainty estimates well below 1%. Temporary wetland loss (topographic depression remains on the landscape) was calculated as the difference between the historical wetland inventory and a time series of contemporary wetland inventories mapped from aerial photographs. Results indicate that as of 1993, 49.4% of the number of wetlands were temporarily lost (56.6% of wetland area), which increased in 2011 to 56.8% (68.0% of wetland area), with uncertainty estimates well below 1%. From 1993 to 2011, we estimated a rate of loss of 0.63% in wetland area/year. Wetland loss continued despite the introduction of the no-net-area-loss policy in 1993.

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Acknowledgements

The data used in this project can be obtained by contacting the authors. This research was supported by an Alberta Wetland Research Initiative Grant and a NSERC Discovery Grant to I.F. Creed and a NSERC CGS-M Award to J.N. Serran. We would like to thank Michael Watmough of Environment Canada for providing wetland loss data that were compared to our estimates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada

    Jacqueline N. Serran, Irena F. Creed, Ali A. Ameli & David A. Aldred

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  1. Jacqueline N. Serran
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  2. Irena F. Creed
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  3. Ali A. Ameli
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  4. David A. Aldred
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Correspondence to Irena F. Creed.

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Serran, J.N., Creed, I.F., Ameli, A.A. et al. Estimating rates of wetland loss using power-law functions. Wetlands 38, 109–120 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0960-y

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