B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Bachelor of Forestry Forest Production Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a key advantage of using a cable yarding system over ground-based skidding in steep terrain?
- Lower equipment cost per acre
- Reduced soil disturbance and erosion on slopes exceeding 35% (Correct answer)
- Faster extraction rates on flat ground
- Better performance in wet bottomland forests
Correct answer: Reduced soil disturbance and erosion on slopes exceeding 35%
Cable yarding suspends logs above the ground during extraction, significantly reducing soil compaction and erosion on steep slopes where ground-based equipment is unsafe.
Question 2: A forester is using the Doyle Log Rule to estimate board footage. Compared to actual yield, the Doyle Rule tends to:
- Overestimate volume in large logs and underestimate in small logs (Correct answer)
- Accurately predict yield for all log sizes
- Underestimate volume in large logs and overestimate in small logs
- Provide the same estimate as the International 1/4-inch Rule for all diameters
Correct answer: Overestimate volume in large logs and underestimate in small logs
The Doyle Rule overestimates large-log volume and significantly underestimates small-log volume due to its mathematical formula's limitations.
Question 3: Which certification standard is most widely used by US forest landowners to demonstrate sustainable forest management to markets?
- ISO 14001
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) (Correct answer)
- LEED certification
- USDA Organic certification
Correct answer: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
FSC and SFI are the dominant third-party forest management certification systems in the US, recognized by timber markets and buyers.
Question 4: What is the primary function of a Best Management Practice (BMP) for stream-side buffers in timber harvesting?
- To provide a travel corridor for logging equipment near streams
- To protect water quality by filtering sediment and maintaining stream temperature (Correct answer)
- To maximize timber harvest volume within riparian zones
- To serve as a firebreak adjacent to water bodies
Correct answer: To protect water quality by filtering sediment and maintaining stream temperature
Streamside management zones with vegetated buffers trap sediment, prevent bank erosion, and provide shade that regulates water temperature for aquatic species.
Question 5: In pine plantation management in the US South, 'site preparation' before planting typically includes:
- Broadcast seeding and irrigation installation
- Mechanical or chemical control of competing vegetation to improve seedling survival (Correct answer)
- Construction of terraces for erosion control on slopes
- Installing mycorrhizal inoculants throughout the planting area
Correct answer: Mechanical or chemical control of competing vegetation to improve seedling survival
Site preparation reduces competition from brush, grasses, and hardwoods so that planted pine seedlings have improved access to light, water, and nutrients.
Question 6: Which federal law requires that timber sales on National Forests include analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?
- Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- National Forest Management Act (NFMA) (Correct answer)
- Wilderness Act
- Lacey Act
Correct answer: National Forest Management Act (NFMA)
The NFMA requires National Forests to develop management plans and conduct NEPA analysis, including environmental impact assessments, before authorizing timber sales.
Question 7: A forester calculates that a 50-acre stand has a stocking of 200 trees per acre with an average DBH of 8 inches. The recommended residual stocking after thinning is 80 trees per acre. How many trees per acre must be removed?
- 80 trees/acre
- 100 trees/acre
- 120 trees/acre (Correct answer)
- 160 trees/acre
Correct answer: 120 trees/acre
200 trees/acre minus the target residual of 80 trees/acre equals 120 trees/acre to be removed during thinning.
B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Bachelor of Forestry Forest Production Management 3
Which of the following is a key advantage of using a cable yarding system over ground-based skidding in steep terrain?