Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) wetland assessments quantify the effects of voluntary conservation efforts for wetlands located in agricultural settings at both regional and national scales.
About Wetland Assessments
Wetlands occur where water covers the soil or is present near the soil surface either seasonally or year-round. They include marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. Beyond providing wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity, wetlands serve to remove sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants, contain floodwaters, and store carbon. Through CEAP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) develops monitoring and modeling processes that improve wetland conservation efforts on private working lands.
CEAP wetland assessments across multiple scales inform voluntary conservation actions for a diversity of land managers and partners by improving predictions of responses in wetland functions and ecosystem services. Details on the methods for CEAP wetland assessments are available on the CEAP Frequently Asked Questions page.
Wetland Publications
Reports, Articles, and Bibliographies
Reports and Articles
- Assessing the Effectiveness of Riparian Buffers for Reducing Organic Nitrogen Loads in the Coastal Plain of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed using a Watershed Model, 2020, Journal of Hydrology
- Assessment and Combination of SMAP and Sentinel-1A/B-Derived Soil Moisture Estimates With Land Surface Model Outputs in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, 2020, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
- Ecosystems Services Estimation for Depressional Wetlands in the High Plains Region: Sampling Manual for the Integrated Landscape Modeling Partnership, 2020 (7.54 MB)
- Modeling the Supporting Ecosystem Services of Depressional Wetlands in Agricultural Landscapes, 2020, Wetlands
- Use of Topographic Models for Mapping Soil Properties and Processes, 2020, Soil Systems
- Effects of Land Use on Greenhouse Gas Flux in Playa Wetlands and Associated Watersheds in the High Plains, 2019, Agricultural Sciences
- Modeling Effects of Crop Production, Energy Development and Conservation-Grassland Loss on Avian Habitat, 2019, PLOS ONE
- The Pothole Hydrology-Linked Systems Simulator [PHyLiSS]-Development and Application of a Systems Model for Prairie-Pothole Wetlands, 2018, U.S. Geological Survey Report
- The Integrated Landscape Modeling Partnership-Current Status and Future Directions, 2017 (6.33 MB)
- Assessing the Effects of USDA Conservation Programs on Ecosystem Services Provided by Wetlands, 2015, National Wetlands Newsletter
- Effects and Effectiveness of USDA Wetland Conservation Practices in the Mid-Atlantic Region: A Report on the CEAP Mid-Atlantic Regional Wetland Assessment 2008 – 2015 Summary, 2015, (195 KB)
- Effects and Effectiveness of USDA Wetland Conservation Practices in the Mid-Atlantic Region: A Report on the CEAP Mid-Atlantic Regional Wetland Assessment 2008 – 2015 Full Report, 2015, (9.05 MB)
- Land Use and Conservation Reserve Program Effects on the Persistence of Playa Wetlands in the High Plains, 2014, Environmental Science & Technology
- Modeling Effects of Conservation Grassland Losses on Amphibian Habitat, 2014, Biological Conservation
- Multiple Factors Influence the Vegetation Composition of Southeast U.S. Wetlands Restored in the Wetlands Reserve Program, 2013, Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society
- Regional Classification of the Effectiveness of Depressional Wetlands at Mitigating Nitrogen Transport to Surface Waters in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, 2013, U.S. Geological Survey Report
- Assessing Wetland Restoration Practices On Southern Agricultural Lands: The Wetlands Reserve Program In The Southeastern Coastal Plain Summary, 2012 (193 KB)
- Assessing Wetland Restoration Practices On Southern Agricultural Lands: The Wetlands Reserve Program In The Southeastern Coastal Plain Full Report, 2012 (2.99 MB)
- Influence of USDA Programs and Conservation Practices on Ecological Services Provided by Playa Wetlands in the High Plains, 2012 (916 KB)
- Quantifying Ecosystem Services Derived from Wetland Conservation Practices in the Glaciated Interior Plains Summary, 2012 (172 KB)
- Quantifying Ecosystem Services Derived from Wetland Conservation Practices in the Glaciated Interior Plains Full Report, 2012 (624 KB)
- Wetlands Assessment in California's Central Valley and the Klamath River Basin [CEAP] Summary, 2011 (180 KB)
- Wetlands Assessment in California's Central Valley and the Klamath River Basin [CEAP] Full Report, 2011 (3.58 MB)
- Forested Wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, 2010, Agricultural Research
- Regional Estimates of Ecological Services Derived from U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Programs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Summary, 2010 (254 KB)
- Regional Estimates of Ecological Services Derived from U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Programs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Full Report, 2010 (2.05 MB)
- Wetlands Assessment in California's Central Valley and the Klamath River Basin: Progress Report [CEAP], 2010 (1.34 MB)
- Assessing Wetland Restoration and Creation Practices Implemented under U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Programs in the Southeastern Coastal Plain, 2009 (147 KB)
- Wetlands Assessment in California's Central Valley: Progress Report [CEAP], 2009 (441 KB)
- Assessing the Effects of USDA Conservation Practices on Wetland Ecosystem Services in California's Central Valley, 2008 (36.2 KB)
- Assessment of Ecological Services Derived from USDA Conservation Programs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, 2008 (37.2 KB)
- Assessment of Ecological Services Derived from USDA Conservation Programs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley: Regional Estimates and Functional Condition Indicator Models, 2008 (1.13 MB)
- Choptank Watershed Wetland Study, 2008 (34 KB)
- Ecosystem Services Derived from Wetland Conservation Practices in the United States Prairie Pothole Region, 2008, U.S. Geological Survey Report
- Integrated Landscape Monitoring - Prairie Potholes Pilot: Tier II Study Plan, 2008 (1.18 MB)
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Assessment, 2008 (28.3 KB)
- Prairie Pothole Regional Studies, 2008 (46.6 KB)
- Quantifying the Ecosystem Services Derived from Wetland Conservation Practice in the Glaciated Interior Plains: The Provision of Water Quality Benefits, 2008 (35 KB)
- Southeastern Coastal Plain Foundation Study: Assessing Wetland Restoration/Creation Practices on Southern Agricultural Lands, 2008 (35 KB)
- The High Plains Regional Assessment, 2008 (26.9 KB)
- Wetlands Work Plan [CEAP], 2008 (525 KB)
- Effects of Conservation Programs on Amphibians in Seasonal Wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region's Glaciated Plain: FY 2006 Progress Report, 2007 (907 KB)
- Effects of Conservation Programs on Amphibians in Seasonal Wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region's Glaciated Plain: FY 2005 Progress Report, 2006 (0.98 MB)
- Wetlands Conceptual Framework [CEAP], 2006 (240 KB)
- Effects of Conservation Programs on Amphibians in Seasonal Wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region's Glaciated Plain – proposal, 2005 (638 KB)
- Wetlands Peer Review Panel, 2005 (41.7 KB)
- Impact of U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture Programs on Ecological Services Derived from Restored Prairie Wetlands and Adjacent Grasslands, 2004 (993 KB)
Bibliography
- Conservation of Wetlands in Agricultural Landscapes of the United States, 2011, Ecological Applications, Ecological Society of America
Fact Sheets: Conservation Insights and Science Notes
Conservation Insights
- Maximizing the Water Quality Benefits of Wetlands in Croplands, 2023 (2.43 MB)
- Soil Influences on Water Balance in Wetlands May Impact Wetland Effectiveness in Achieving Different Restoration Objectives, 2020 (1.63 MB)
- USDA Conservation Programs and Pesticides in Great Plains Depressional Wetlands-Texas to North Dakota, 2017 (586 KB)
Science Notes
- Effects of Wetland Habitat Quality and Drought on Breeding Waterfowl, 2022 (966 KB)
- Functional Assessment of Depressional Wetlands Using Remote Sensing, 2021 (2.97 MB)
- Headwater Wetlands Buffer Variability in Water Levels and Ecosystem Services at the Catchment Scale, 2021 (1.04 MB)
- A Novel Geospatial Modeling Tool Can Infer Wetland Function, 2020 (1.55 MB)
- Assessing Cumulative Impacts of Wetlands on Watershed Hydrology Using an Improved Hydrologic Modeling Approach, 2019 (2.1 MB)
- Depressional Wetland Water Storage Volume on the Delmarva Peninsula, 2019 (1.18 MB)
- Estimating the Effects of Wetland Conservation Practices in Croplands: Approaches for Modeling in the CEAP-Cropland Assessment, 2018 (465 KB)
- Role of Prior Converted Croplands on Nitrate Processing in Mid-Atlantic Agricultural Landscapes, 2017 (1.6 MB)
- Greenhouse Gas Fluxes and Carbon Storage Dynamics in Playa Wetlands: Restoration Potential to Mitigate Climate Change, 2016 (366 KB)
- Assessing the Effects of Wetland Practices in Agricultural Landscapes: A Conceptual Model for Wetland Plant Diversity, 2015 (768 KB)
- Assessing Wetland Morphometrics and Ecosystem Functions in Agricultural Landscapes of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Using Fine Scale Topographic Information, 2015 (320 KB)
- Conserving Prairie Pothole Wetlands and Surrounding Grasslands: Evaluating Effects on Amphibians, 2014 (1.52 MB)
- Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for Improved Mapping of Wetland Resources and Assessment of Wetland Conservation Practices, 2014 (3.08 MB)
- Conserving Prairie Pothole Wetlands: Evaluating Their Effects on Carbon Sequestration in Soils and Vegetation, 2012 (772 KB)
Webinars and Blogs
Conservation Outcomes Webinars
- May 11, 2023 – Forest Management and Water Yield: Tool Development and Synthesis of Outcomes for Embedded Wetlands: Webinar Recording (Captions Available), Presentation Slides, and Additional Resources One-Pager
- March 25, 2021 – Quantifying Ecosystem Functions to Facilitate Wetland Monitoring and Assessment: Webinar Recording
- October 22, 2020 – Quantifying Conservation Effects on Multiple Wetland Ecosystem Services: Understanding Tradeoffs is the Name of the Game: Webinar Recording
Blogs
CEAP Wetland Highlights
The below highlights represent recent resources and key findings released by CEAP on wetland conservation efforts and outcomes. Visit this webpage frequently to see what's new, or browse the above publications to access a range of published resources from CEAP wetland assessments.
Forest Management and Water Yield: Tool Development and Synthesis of Outcomes for Embedded Wetlands
This Conservation Outcomes Webinar highlights the influence of upland forest management on wetland and landscape-scale hydrologic functions. The presenters are Dr. Katie Glodzik and Dr. Esther Lee, University of Florida.
Maximizing the Water Quality Benefits of Wetlands in Croplands
This Conservation Insight quantifies the potential of wetlands in agricultural landscapes to capture and store nutrients – namely nitrogen and phosphorus – and highlights conservation efforts to maximize nutrient management and associated water quality benefits.
Ask the Expert: A Q&A on Agricultural Wetlands and Water Quality with Dr. Joseph Prenger
This Ask the Expert features Dr. Joseph (Joe) Prenger, CEAP Wetlands Lead. Joe answers questions about new findings on the capacity of wetlands to capture and store nutrients from cropland fields, associated water quality benefits, and NRCS resources to support wetlands on private and Tribal lands.
Quantifying Ecosystem Functions to Facilitate Wetland Monitoring and Assessment
This Conservation Outcomes Webinar highlights key findings from wetland studies in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plains, specifically on the use of ecosystem functions to support wetland monitoring and assessment. Multiple presenters are included from USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
Wetlands in Agricultural Landscapes
This special research section from the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation was published in 2020 and features a suite of articles related to CEAP wetland assessments, including significant findings and recent advancements for conservation efforts involving wetlands in agricultural landscapes.
Additional Resources
Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP)
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort led by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to quantify the effects of conservation practices across the nation’s working lands.
Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions | Conservation Effects Assessment Project
This webpage provides answers to frequently asked questions about the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP).
Last Updated: June 9, 2023
Learn MorePublications | Conservation Effects Assessment Project
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project, CEAP, provides a suite of publications highlighting the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation’s working lands.
Learn MoreConservation Outcomes Webinar Series
The Conservation Outcomes Webinar Series provides key findings, data, and tools to support producers and partners in pursuing voluntary conservation efforts across the nation's working lands.
Learn More