Updated 5.0 Aquatic & Mosquito exam 2024
with correct answers
List the roles plants play in a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Correct Answer -producing
oxygen
-preventing shoreline erosion
-lessening excess nutrients during growing season
-stabilizing lake bottom
-providing food and habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other aquatic animals
Describe the general growth habits of, means of dispersal and potential problems
caused by: Free-floating, filamentous, and "rooted" algae Correct Answer -*growth
habits*: found free-floating (planktonic) or attached to submerged surfaces (filamentous
or "rooted").
-*means of dispersal*: multiply rapidly in warm weather;
-*potential problems*: free-floating algae responsible for many nuisance algal blooms
(release toxin, low DO, blue-green algae); removing rooted algae can allow worse
species to come in so don't mess with them.
List the advantages and disadvantages of chemical control of aquatic plants and algae
Correct Answer *Advantages*:
-offer longer-lasting control than some mechanical methods
-less physical labor
-ultimately cost less
,-important tool for specific nuisance plants/algae such as Eurasian watermilfoil and
purple loosestrife
*Disadvantages*:
-restrictions on water use
-oxygen depletion and fish kills
-sudden nutrient release into water can lead to other plant or algae problems
-risk to people and nontarget organisms
Describe the beneficial roles of Wisconsin's fish populations. Correct Answer -maintain
balanced communities by feeding on aquatic plants, insects, and other fish & provide a
food source for natural predators
-fishing for food/sport is popular in WI and ddepends on healthy populations
-fish farms and hatcheries raise fish for food, feed, fertilizer, bait, and to release
List 5 types of situations in which fish control may be warranted Correct Answer -
eliminating undesirable or competing fish from fish rearing ponds
-removing exotic and other undesirable species from a waterbody
-thinning stunted fish to bring a population into balance
-eliminating fish from a hatchery water supply to prevent a potential reservoir of
disease-causing organisms
-treating fish spawning sites to prevent overpopulation of an individual species
,Explain why post-treatment management can be important in the long-term success of a
pesticide treatment project. Correct Answer -because when fish populations are
lowered, density-dependent population growth allows the population to rebound if not
managed post-treatment
Know the Law: Who do you need to get approval from to conduct any chemical
treatment for fish control? Correct Answer WI DNR Aquatic Plant Management Program
List the 2 main reasons why mosquito control may be warranted. Correct Answer -
nuisance
-disease
Describe the 4 stages of the mosquito life cycle, including the main structural features of
each Correct Answer -*egg*: laid in water, hatch in ~3 days, some laid on dry land and
hatch when flooded
-*larva*: "wiggler", 4 instars with molting in between each, filterers, air tube to breath
from surface
-*pupa*: comma shaped, non-feeding, lasts a few days, contain respiratory trumpets,
"tumblers"
-*adult*: 1 pair wings, elongated probiscis, pair of antennae, males have bushy
antennae while females have short and sparse antennae
, List the types of info you need about a mosquito species before you can develop an
effective program to control it. Correct Answer -the types and locations of breeding sites
-# of generations per year
-host preference of the females (what animals they prefer to get blood from)
-seasonal population levels and how rainfall affects them
-their flight range
-common resting areas
-whether the species can transmit pathogens that may be present in your area
-whether the mosquitoes carry pathogens that are present in wildlife populations
List ways that excessive plant growth can adversely affect the ecology and uses of a
water body. Correct Answer -harm ecology of aquatic ecosystem
-curtail or prevent recreational water uses (e.g. fishing, boating, swimming)
-impart tastes or odors to drinking water
-hamper water treatment operations
-adversely affect aesthetics, resort trade, and waterfront property values
-produce toxins that harm animals drinking the water
Describe the general growth habits of, means of dispersal and potential problems
caused by: Emergent aquatic plants Correct Answer -*growth habits*: rooted in shallow
water, most growth above water
with correct answers
List the roles plants play in a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Correct Answer -producing
oxygen
-preventing shoreline erosion
-lessening excess nutrients during growing season
-stabilizing lake bottom
-providing food and habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other aquatic animals
Describe the general growth habits of, means of dispersal and potential problems
caused by: Free-floating, filamentous, and "rooted" algae Correct Answer -*growth
habits*: found free-floating (planktonic) or attached to submerged surfaces (filamentous
or "rooted").
-*means of dispersal*: multiply rapidly in warm weather;
-*potential problems*: free-floating algae responsible for many nuisance algal blooms
(release toxin, low DO, blue-green algae); removing rooted algae can allow worse
species to come in so don't mess with them.
List the advantages and disadvantages of chemical control of aquatic plants and algae
Correct Answer *Advantages*:
-offer longer-lasting control than some mechanical methods
-less physical labor
-ultimately cost less
,-important tool for specific nuisance plants/algae such as Eurasian watermilfoil and
purple loosestrife
*Disadvantages*:
-restrictions on water use
-oxygen depletion and fish kills
-sudden nutrient release into water can lead to other plant or algae problems
-risk to people and nontarget organisms
Describe the beneficial roles of Wisconsin's fish populations. Correct Answer -maintain
balanced communities by feeding on aquatic plants, insects, and other fish & provide a
food source for natural predators
-fishing for food/sport is popular in WI and ddepends on healthy populations
-fish farms and hatcheries raise fish for food, feed, fertilizer, bait, and to release
List 5 types of situations in which fish control may be warranted Correct Answer -
eliminating undesirable or competing fish from fish rearing ponds
-removing exotic and other undesirable species from a waterbody
-thinning stunted fish to bring a population into balance
-eliminating fish from a hatchery water supply to prevent a potential reservoir of
disease-causing organisms
-treating fish spawning sites to prevent overpopulation of an individual species
,Explain why post-treatment management can be important in the long-term success of a
pesticide treatment project. Correct Answer -because when fish populations are
lowered, density-dependent population growth allows the population to rebound if not
managed post-treatment
Know the Law: Who do you need to get approval from to conduct any chemical
treatment for fish control? Correct Answer WI DNR Aquatic Plant Management Program
List the 2 main reasons why mosquito control may be warranted. Correct Answer -
nuisance
-disease
Describe the 4 stages of the mosquito life cycle, including the main structural features of
each Correct Answer -*egg*: laid in water, hatch in ~3 days, some laid on dry land and
hatch when flooded
-*larva*: "wiggler", 4 instars with molting in between each, filterers, air tube to breath
from surface
-*pupa*: comma shaped, non-feeding, lasts a few days, contain respiratory trumpets,
"tumblers"
-*adult*: 1 pair wings, elongated probiscis, pair of antennae, males have bushy
antennae while females have short and sparse antennae
, List the types of info you need about a mosquito species before you can develop an
effective program to control it. Correct Answer -the types and locations of breeding sites
-# of generations per year
-host preference of the females (what animals they prefer to get blood from)
-seasonal population levels and how rainfall affects them
-their flight range
-common resting areas
-whether the species can transmit pathogens that may be present in your area
-whether the mosquitoes carry pathogens that are present in wildlife populations
List ways that excessive plant growth can adversely affect the ecology and uses of a
water body. Correct Answer -harm ecology of aquatic ecosystem
-curtail or prevent recreational water uses (e.g. fishing, boating, swimming)
-impart tastes or odors to drinking water
-hamper water treatment operations
-adversely affect aesthetics, resort trade, and waterfront property values
-produce toxins that harm animals drinking the water
Describe the general growth habits of, means of dispersal and potential problems
caused by: Emergent aquatic plants Correct Answer -*growth habits*: rooted in shallow
water, most growth above water
