Prairie Pothole Region

The Prairie Pothole Region is a large area in the north of the Great Plains that is characterized by extensive wetlands. These so-called Potholes, which dates back to the recent Vergletscherungsphase, which ended about 10,000 years ago. The ice sheet forming the landscape by uneven deposition of glacial till in moraines and thus formed a chain of kettle holes.

More than half of these kettle holes were drained and converted into agricultural land. In some regions, the loss of kettle holes is even more than 90 percent. The remaining kettle holes have a high importance for ducks and other species that are bound in their way of life on water. For more than 50 percent of North American migratory bird species with a bound water of life these kettle holes play a crucial role.

Private and public conservation initiatives have been adopted to protect the lakes. The initiative Ducks Unlimited, founded by hunters cared for more than 50,000 km ², which were purchased in part. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service funded from the Duck Stamp program, the purchase of Waterfowl Production Areas in the United States. Duck stamps are revenue stamps and must be purchased for hunting waterfowl. With the proceeds over 36,000 small and very small protected areas were acquired.

A characteristic nature of this region is the Präriemöwe whose main area of ​​distribution largely coincides with the Prairie Pothole Region. The region has probably over 60 % of the stocks of this kind, possibly over 50 % of North American stocks, there are at Grebe, the North American bittern, the Carolina Crake, the American Coot and Black Tern, over 30 % of the Kaliforniermöwe and the American White Pelican. Other water birds are Mallard, American Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Gadwall.