ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) — Practice Exam
Biotic disorders: practice questions
Our ISA Board Certified Master Arborist bank has 20 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
What three things are needed for a disease to develop, per ISA?
- An insect, a wound and rain, all in the same week
- An insect vector, a fresh wound and rain, all occurring within the same week
- Heat, cold and wind
- A pathogen, a susceptible plant and a suitable environment
Show the answer
D. A pathogen, a susceptible plant and a suitable environment — Often called the disease triangle.
Question 2
An elm has bright yellow leaves on one or two branches. What does the Tree Owner's Manual say to suspect?
- Slime flux, which is not a health threat
- Dutch elm disease
- Drought
- Squirrel damage
Show the answer
B. Dutch elm disease — Call the university or an arborist immediately.
Question 3
Which insect feeding group causes leaf notching, skeletonizing and leaf mining?
- Sucking insects such as aphids and leafhoppers
- Boring insects
- Pollinators
- Chewing insects
Show the answer
D. Chewing insects — Beetles and caterpillars are chewing insects.
Question 4
Which fungi do not cause the tree to form bulges around decay, per the USDA Forest Service?
- White rot fungi, which always cause swellings
- Mycorrhizal fungi
- Rust fungi
- Brown rot fungi
Show the answer
D. Brown rot fungi — Examples: velvet-top fungus, chicken mushroom, red-belt fungus.
Question 5
Why are oaks in oak wilt areas not pruned in spring and early summer?
- Fresh wounds attract beetles that spread the oak wilt fungus
- Oak bark is too soft then, so pruning cuts tear and wounds close very slowly afterward
- Pruning oaks is never allowed
Show the answer
A. Fresh wounds attract beetles that spread the oak wilt fungus — Wounded elm wood similarly attracts bark beetles carrying Dutch elm disease.