The plants that grow in Wisconsin’s lakes are a varied lot: Some of them are useful as fish habitat and food for water fowl,
but the overabundance of invasive exotic species can result in a lack of biodiversity that can be detrimental to the quality of the lake
for fish, fowl, and human use.
A
book, published by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Distribution and Habitat Descriptions of Wisconsin Lake Plants, features technical information and detailed drawings for more than 100 species of lake plants that range from the rare to the common.
According to Survey biologist Stanley Nichols, who prepared the handbook, “Lake
plants are a little known but valuable resource. We need to know where
the plants live and why they live there to protect and manage them
properly.”
The publication was designed to provide a basis for the in-depth study of lake plants, but the drawings can also be used to aid plant
identification; the book should therefore be helpful not only to aquatic ecologists and lake managers, but also to educators, students, and
those who enjoy lakes and wetlands.
The 6- by 8-inch, 266-page book has a water-resistant
plastic cover and a wire binding, which allows it to easily lie flat when used in the field.
A
book, published by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Distribution and Habitat Descriptions of Wisconsin Lake Plants, features technical information and detailed drawings for more than 100 species of lake plants that range from the rare to the common. 
The publication was designed to provide a basis for the in-depth study of lake plants, but the drawings can also be used to aid plant
identification; the book should therefore be helpful not only to aquatic ecologists and lake managers, but also to educators, students, and
those who enjoy lakes and wetlands.