The importance of playa wetlands to biodiversity of the Southern High Plains

Haukos, David A.; Smith, Loren M.

doi:10.1016/0169-2046(94)90046-9

Cited by 150 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…As a result of their water-holding capacity in an otherwise semi-arid region, playas support an impressive diversity of flora and fauna (Bolen and others, 1989;Haukos and Smith, 1994;Hoagland and Collins, 1997). Many plant species occur exclusively in playas (Reed, 1930).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: A literature synthesis

Melcher¹,

Skagen²

2005

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: A literature synthesis

Melcher¹,

Skagen²

2005

Open-File Report

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“…Runoff-fed (i.e., depressional) wetlands are inherently susceptible to sedimentation and are particularly vulnerable when their watersheds experience accelerated rates of erosion due to anthropogenic activities such as land-cover change [3,4]. For instance, playas are depressional wetlands of the tablelands of the central and southern Great Plains of North America that are foci for biodiversity [5,6] and are highly impacted by land-cover changes stemming from agriculture [7]. There are >30,000 of these wetlands in the U.S., comprising a habitat network for migratory, breeding, and overwintering wildlife, including much of the continent's waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds [7].…”

Section: Background and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

Using Remotely Sensed Imagery to Document How Land Use Drives Turbidity of Playa Waters in Texas

et al. 2016

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Sedimentation (primarily from human land use) is a major threat to runoff-fed wetlands of the Great Plains of North America (playas), but it is unknown how many playas are turbid, how prevalence of turbidity has changed over time, and how turbidity is related to surrounding land use. We used remotely sensed imagery to assess sedimentation in the waters of over 7700 playa basins in Texas on four dates during a 29-year span: 25 July 1986 (a regionally wet time), 3 May 2014 (during drought), 4 June 2014 (after the drought was broken), and 25 July 2015 (one year post-drought). Even on the wettest date examined, 64% of playa basins did not hold water. Turbidity varied over time, was already present in over half of the basins examined in 1986, and prevalence of turbidity was not simply proportional to overall wet playa abundance. There was an increase in total and irrigated cropland in our focal region and a statistically significant association between sedimentation and land use within 100 m of a playa: clear playas were associated with more urban development and pasture/grassland, and turbid playas were surrounded mostly by cropland.

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“…The approximately 25,000 to 30,000 playas are the most numerous hydrogemorphic features in the Southern High Plains (Fig. 1), but they only occupy 2% of the landscape (Haukos & Smith 1994). Therefore, they serve as key sites of biodiversity in this otherwise flat, semi-arid landscape (Bolen et al 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Linyphiidae spiders associated with playas in the Southern High Plains (Llano Estacado) of Texas (Arachnida: Araneae)

Cokendolpher

Torrence

Smith

et al. 2007

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Three species [Ceratinella playa new species, Erigone denticulata Chamberlin & Ivie, Mermessus denticulatus (Banks)] in the spider family Linyphiidae were associated with emergent vegetation in playa wetlands in the Southern High Plains of Texas. Playa wetlands are being rapidly degraded in the Great Plains of the U.S.A. We describe and illustrate the new species Ceratinella playa from a male and female from Briscoe County, Texas. Erigone denticulata is redescribed and illustrated from males and females from Texas. New distributional records are provided for E. denticulata from the U.S.A.: Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. All of these except those from Wyoming are new state records. A new county record of Mermessus denticulatus is reported from Texas. RESUMENTres especies [Ceratinella playa nueva especie, Erigone denticulata Chamberlin & Ivie y Mermessus denticulatus (Banks)] de la familia Linyphiidae fueron asociadas a la vegetación emergente en cuerpos de aguas temporales "playas" de humedales en las Grandes Planicies del sur de Tejas. Los humedales están siendo degradados rápidamente en las Planicies de los E.E.U.U. Se describe e ilustra macho y hembra de la nueva especie Ceratinella playa del condado Briscoe, Tejas. Machos y hembras de Erigone denticulata de Tejas son redescritos e ilustrados. Nuevos datos distribucionales son reportados para E. denticulata para los estados de Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregón, Tejas, Utah y Wyoming. Todos, excepto los de Wyoming, son nuevas citas para estos Estados. Mermessus denticulatus se cita por primera vez para Tejas.

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The importance of playa wetlands to biodiversity of the Southern High Plains

Cited by 150 publications

References 23 publications

Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: A literature synthesis

Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: A literature synthesis

Using Remotely Sensed Imagery to Document How Land Use Drives Turbidity of Playa Waters in Texas

New Linyphiidae spiders associated with playas in the Southern High Plains (Llano Estacado) of Texas (Arachnida: Araneae)

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