New mapping techniques to estimate the preferential loss of small wetlands on prairie landscapes

Reliable estimates of wetland loss require improved wetland inventories and effective monitoring programmes. The Prairie Pothole Region of North America is experiencing rapid urban, agricultural and economic development, which places wetlands at risk, especially small geographically isolated wetlands. This loss is concomitant with a loss of ecosystem services. To improve upon current wetland inventories, a method for mapping wetlands using an automated object‐based approach was developed for a regional watershed in Alberta. The method improves upon existing wetland mapping methods by effectively mapping small wetlands and better capturing the convolution of wetland edges. This approach uses digital terrain objects derived from light detection and ranging data, from which 130 157 wetlands were identified. Wetland loss estimates (% number and % area) were obtained by applying a wetland area versus frequency power‐law function to the wetland inventory. We estimated a 16.2% historic loss of wetland number and a 2.6% loss of wetland area, with the size of these lost wetlands <0.04 ha. The improved techniques for mapping wetland loss and estimating wetland loss provide a more accurate representation of the magnitude of wetland loss in the Prairie Pothole Region. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.