Species richness and nest productivity of marsh birds on restored prairie potholes in northern Iowa

Since the mid 1800s the number of wetlands in Iowa has decreased by 95% (Bishop 1981). Wetland drainage and the conversion of native grasslands into croplands have been primary causes of this loss. Because of this habitat loss, several wetland species have been extirpated from the state, and others have small populations (Weller 1979, Dinsmore 1981). The 1985 Farm Bill and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan provided the stimulus for wetland restoration on many of these drained basins. My objectives were to 1) determine if certain wetland characteristics affected bird colonization on restored wetlands and 2) assess the habitat quality of the restored wetlands by using nest productivity data