U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS 2004-3041

December 2002

Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Farm Ponds as Wildlife Habitat in the Driftless Area Ecoregion

In the Driftless Area Ecoregion of southeastern 

Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa, 

natural wetlands are scarce. Constructed agricultural 

ponds represent important alternative breeding habitats 

for amphibians and other wildlife. This region contains 

thousands of farm ponds constructed with fi nancial 

assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 

the respective states. The purpose of these farm ponds 

is to prevent soil erosion and create wildlife habitat, yet 

little information was available to determine if such ponds 

benefi t wildlife.

During spring and summer of 2001 and 2002, the Upper 

Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) 

initiated a study to identify the species of amphibians 

and other wildlife that inhabit both natural and artifi cially 

constructed farm ponds in southeastern Minnesota. 

We also studied the relation between the diversity, 

reproductive success, and rates of deformities among 

amphibians and the management practices used by farmers 

near these ponds.

We collected data from 40 randomly selected 

ponds, 10 ponds in each of four surrounding landuse classes: row-crop agriculture, grazed grassland, 

ungrazed grassland, and natural wetlands. We 

identifi ed 10 species of amphibians inhabiting the 

ponds, as well as numerous birds and mammals.

Amphibians inhabited all the types of farm ponds 

we studied, and few were deformed. We observed 

many of the same species in both constructed 

farm ponds and natural wetlands; in fact, some 

species were more common in constructed ponds. 

However, some species (the spring peeper and 

gray treefrog) had low reproductive success in 

grazed ponds compared to the other pond types. 

We attribute the poor performance of grazed ponds 

to livestock disturbance (wading and defecating), 

which degrades water quality and prevents the 

establishment of vegetation. Ponds used to provide 

water for livestock had elevated concentrations of 

Farm pond study sites in southeastern Minnesota, Houston and Winona counties.

nitrogen and higher turbidity. Overall, we observed that 

amphibian reproductive success was greatest in ponds with 

sparse vegetation, low concentrations of nitrogen, and no 

fi sh.

We identifi ed 10 species of amphibians living and 

reproducing in the ponds, including the tiger salamander 

(Ambystoma tigrinum), American toad (Bufo americanus), 

gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), western chorus frog 

(Pseudacris triseriata), spring peeper (Pseudacris 

crucifer), green frog (Rana clamitans), wood frog (Rana 

sylvatica), northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens), pickerel 

frog (Rana palustris), and the blue-spotted salamander 

(Ambystoma laterale). The blue-spotted salamander was 

a new record for Houston County, Minnesota. Amphibian 

species richness among the pond types was similar and 

deformity rates were low (< 5% deformed individuals) 

at all ponds. The parasite Ribeiroia (linked to amphibian 

malformations elsewhere) was identifi ed at 3 of 16 

ponds examined for parasites in 2000 and 6 of 13 ponds 
Amphibian species present within four types of surrounding land uses, based on detection by all survey methods, for farm ponds in Houston and 

Winona Counties, Minnesota, 2000-2001. Land use categories include agricultural (AGRIC), grazed (GRAZE), nongrazed (NGRAZ), and natural (NATUR).

examined in 2001. Of the 260 amphibians necropsied for 

parasites, only 11 were considered malformed, and 5 of 

these harbored Ribeiroia. Ribeiroia was found only in 

northern leopard frogs and green frogs. 

A variety of other wildlife also used these ponds as 

habitat. We observed six species of snakes and two of 

turtles at ponds over the 2 years of the study. Common 

garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) were the most 

frequently encountered reptile, followed by painted turtles 

(Chrysemys picta). We also observed 100 species of 

birds at the ponds. Song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) 

were observed most frequently, followed by red-winged 

blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), common yellowthroats 

(Geothlypis trichas), and American robins (Turdus 

migratorius). 

Based upon tracks observed at scent stations, 18 species 

of mammals visited the ponds. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) 

were detected at the most ponds, followed closely by the 

white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We identifi ed 

fi ve species of fi sh in the ponds; the brook stickleback 

(Culaea inconstans) was most abundant. A wide variety 

of invertebrate taxa lived in the ponds. Midge larvae 

(Chironomidae), crawling water beetles (Haliplidae), 

and water boatmen (Corixidae) were the most common 

invertebrates. 

We conclude that constructed agricultural ponds, 

originally designed for soil conservation purposes, are 

used by a variety of amphibians and other wildlife. With 

proper management, agricultural ponds provide suitable 

aquatic breeding habitat for amphibians. We recommend 

management actions such as limiting livestock access to 

the pond to improve water quality, reducing nitrogen input, 

and avoiding the introduction of fi sh into constructed 

ponds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also 

recommends maintaining a wide grass buffer strip around 

the pond to trap sediment and nutrients. 

See the project Web page for a poster and fact sheet on 

managing farm ponds.

http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amphibians/

mknutson_5003869.html

For more information, contact

Melinda Knutson

USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

2630 Fanta Reed Road

La Crosse, WI 54603

Phone: 608.781.6339

Email: mknutson@usgs.gov

http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/