o 



5 KANSAS 



05 



^ General description: As a midwest plains state, Kansas exhibits a distinctive wet- 



^ land type — the inland salt marsh. Studies of Ungar ( 1964, 1965) in the Big Salt 



Marsh have documented the unique nature of these saline areas. Certain spe- 

 cies, such as spikerush (Eleocharis rostellata) and three-square (Scirpus amer- 

 icanus) occur both in these inland wetlands and also in the tidal marshes along 

 the eastern coast (Roberts and Lohmann 1971 ). Species comprising this vegeta- 

 tion are referred to as halophytes and have become adapted to the saline condi- 

 tions. Although the flora and associated fauna of such saline marshes are often 

 less diverse than those of the fresh-water wetlands, the species present are 

 highly restricted in their pattern of distribution. Reservoirs and farm stock 

 ponds account for the major permanent water areas in the state. The Arkansas, 

 Missouri, and Kansas River basins also provide an invaluable wetland resource. 



Status of the wetlands: Most of the wetlands in the state have been modified by 

 grazing or by manipulation of the water levels. Oil-well drilling has also had an 

 impact in some areas. The Big Salt Marsh within the Quivira National Wildlife 

 Refuge is relatively undisturbed. 



Sources of data: Data were provided by the State Forestry, Fish and Game 

 Commission, and university biologists. 



Recommendations: Data on only two areas have been obtained. The most sig- 

 nificant, the Big Salt Marsh, comprising over 9000 acres, is relatively 

 undisturbed and lies within the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Under such 

 status it has a considerable degree of protection, although management for 

 waterfowl is permitted. An even more extensive tract is the Cheyenne Bottoms 

 also located in the central part of the state. Owned by the state, water levels are 

 now controlled and specifically manipulated to favor waterfowl. Data on 

 privately owned wetlands should be sought. 



Literature cited 



Roberts, M. F., and M. Lohmann. 1971. Tidal marshes of Connecticut — A 



primer about the plants that grow in our Wetlands. Conn. Arboretum Reprint 



Ser. No. 1, 30 p. 

 Ungar, I. A. 1964. A phytosociological analysis of the Big Salt Marsh, Stafford 



County, Kansas. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 67:50-64. 

 Ungar, I. A. 1965. An ecological study of the vegetation of the Big Salt 



Marshes, Stafford County, Kansas, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 46:1-98. 



