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New Book Caps Decade of Research 
The completion of the Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP) in the summer of 2000 resulted in a book titled Prairie Wetland Ecology: the Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research Program. The publication presents the most in-depth and comprehensive research anywhere on the productivity of wetland algal populations, wetland hydrology and invertebrate communities.
The 413 page book caps one of the longest and most intensive research projects ever undertaken on how wetland systems function. It details how wetlands change as water levels fluctuate and these natural fluctuations are critical to the productivity of these systems. It is leading edge in its research and discussions on nutrient cycling, avian use, invertebrate abundance and distribution, algal communities and vegetative cycling.
Between 1980 and 1989, the Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP) was staged as a long-term study on the ecology of prairie wetlands. A scientific team specializing in hydrology, plant ecology, invertebrate ecology, vertebrate ecology, nutrient dynamics and marsh management did experiments on the effects of water level manipulations on northern prairie wetlands. Ten years of fieldwork generated a wealth of new and diverse information on the ecology and function of prairie wetlands. MERP resulted in more than 100 scientific publications and more than a dozen dissertations and theses specifically addressing the productivity and importance of these habitats.
The book was developed because it became evident that earlier purely descriptive studies were inadequate in properly understanding wildlife habitat requirements and issues related to the general ecology and management of prairie wetlands.
The book's editors are:
- Dr. Henry Murkin, senior research scientist for the Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research and chief biologist for DU Canada
- Dr. Arnold van der Valk, director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and professor, botany department at Iowa State University
- Dr. Bill Clark, professor, animal ecology department at Iowa State University
Prairie Wetland Ecology: The Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research was launched at the Quebec 2000: The Millennium Wetland Event, held in August 2000 during the largest gathering of wetland scientists and managers in history. Published by Iowa State University Press (www.isupress.edu), the book is available for $79.95 US.
