Practice Samples

Practice Samples
Use the following practice samples to gain experience with macroinvertebrate identification and stream quality assessment before collecting real samples from real streams.
Each practice sample includes macroinvertebrate specimens that might be collected from different streams with water quality that will rate from excellent to poor.

Follow these steps

Choose one of the practice samples (1-6).

Use the print option provided by your web browser to make a paper copy of the practice sample page.

Use the macroinvertebrate identification key to identify each specimen just as if it were real.

Use the Stream Data Collection Form to record the macroinvertebrate data and to determine the water quality rating for the sample stream.

Go to the answer pages (1-6) to check your results.

Sample Stream 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 1

Sample Stream 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 2

Sample Stream 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 3

Sample Stream 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 4

Sample Stream 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 5

Sample Stream 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Answer page 6

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