Field Survey & Data Collection Flashcards
7 cards from real CEP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Field Survey & Data Collection flashcards as text
In conducting a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) per ASTM E1527-21, which activity is NOT included in the standard scope?
Answer: Soil and groundwater sampling and analysis
Phase I ESAs involve records review, site reconnaissance, and interviews only; soil and groundwater sampling belongs to Phase II ESA scope.
Which parameter is measured by a secchi disk in a lacustrine field survey?
Answer: Water transparency or turbidity
A secchi disk is lowered until it disappears from view, and that depth is the secchi depth, a simple index of water column transparency.
When applying systematic random sampling to a large forested tract, a surveyor places sample plots at regular grid intervals with a random starting point. The chief advantage over pure random sampling is:
Answer: It ensures uniform spatial coverage while retaining randomness
Systematic random sampling distributes plots evenly across the study area, reducing spatial clustering that can occur with pure random sampling, while the random start maintains statistical validity.
A field crew is tasked with delineating a 100-year floodplain. The most authoritative spatial data source to begin with is:
Answer: FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)
FEMA FIRMs are the regulatory standard defining the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) corresponding to the 1%-annual-chance flood for land use and permitting purposes.
Which field indicator is most diagnostic for confirming the presence of a hydric soil in a field delineation?
Answer: Depleted matrix with redoximorphic concentrations
A depleted (low-chroma) matrix with redoximorphic iron concentrations is a primary hydric soil indicator listed in the USDA Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States.
A noise measurement yielding an Leq of 68 dB(A) over one hour represents:
Answer: The energy-equivalent continuous sound level over that hour
Leq (equivalent continuous sound level) integrates all sound energy over the measurement period into a single time-averaged decibel value.
Which field data collection tool is most appropriate for mapping the extent of an invasive plant species across a 500-acre site with dense canopy cover?
Answer: Ground-based transect surveys with GPS-logged waypoints
Under dense canopy where remote sensing penetration is limited, ground transects with GPS logging provide the most accurate mapping of invasive understory plants.