A Surface-Associated Activity Trap for Capturing Water-Surface and Aquatic Invertebrates in Wetlands

Study Site

We conducted our study during 1993-95 at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC), Jamestown, North Dakota, USA (46°53'N, 98°38'W) using a series of 20 constructed earthen wetlands arranged in a 4 × 5 grid. Each wetland cell contained 0.04 ha of vegetated upland and a single 0.05 ha wetland with a maximum depth of 1.2 m. Surface area of each wetland was approximately 22 × 22 m. Basins were contoured to provide a 4:1 slope with a 12 × 12 m center area of maximum depth (1.2 m). During our three-year study, we managed all wetlands to simulate a semi-permanent hydroperiod (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Wetlands were flooded with well water to maximum depth during 25 April - 5 May and were drawn down to depths of approximately 40 cm each year by 1 September. Wetland characteristics and management regimes are discussed in more detail in Hanson et al. (1995) and Cox et al. (1998).

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