CF Risk Assessment & Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fire behavior model is most commonly used in the US to predict wildfire spread and intensity under various fuel and weather conditions?
- BehavePlus (Correct answer)
- FlamMap
- FARSITE
- Phoenix RapidFire
Correct answer: BehavePlus
BehavePlus is the primary point-based fire behavior modeling system used by US foresters to assess wildfire risk under varying fuel, weather, and topographic inputs.
Question 2: A forester discovers emerald ash borer (EAB) within 10 miles of a stand of mature white ash. The BEST immediate risk management response is to:
- Immediately harvest all ash trees to salvage value
- Conduct a pest risk assessment and establish monitoring plots
- Apply systemic insecticide to all ash trees in the stand
- Notify the state department of agriculture and establish a quarantine perimeter (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Notify the state department of agriculture and establish a quarantine perimeter
EAB is a federally regulated pest; the required first response is notification of state agriculture authorities and compliance with quarantine regulations to prevent spread.
Question 3: When conducting a hazard tree assessment along a recreation trail, which tree defect is considered the HIGHEST priority indicator of imminent failure risk?
- Codominant stem with included bark
- Conks or mushrooms at the base indicating root rot (Correct answer)
- Previous crown dieback of less than 25%
- Minor bark wounds from wildlife rubbing
Correct answer: Conks or mushrooms at the base indicating root rot
Basal conks indicate advanced decay in root systems, which compromises structural support and dramatically increases the probability of whole-tree failure.
Question 4: In risk matrix methodology, a hazard rated as 'high probability' and 'high consequence' falls into which management category?
- Monitor and review annually
- Accept risk with no action
- Immediate mitigation required (Correct answer)
- Transfer risk to insurance
Correct answer: Immediate mitigation required
High probability combined with high consequence places a hazard in the critical risk zone, requiring immediate mitigation action rather than monitoring or acceptance.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes 'exposure' in the context of forest risk assessment?
- The severity of harm that would result if a hazard event occurs
- The presence of valued resources or people within the range of a hazard (Correct answer)
- The likelihood that a given hazard will materialize
- The capacity of a forest system to recover after a disturbance
Correct answer: The presence of valued resources or people within the range of a hazard
Exposure refers to the extent to which valued assets—timber, infrastructure, wildlife habitat, or people—are present in areas where a hazard can cause harm.
Question 6: A forester is assessing wind-throw risk following a large clearcut adjacent to a mature timber stand. Which site factor MOST increases susceptibility to wind damage?
- North-facing aspect with dense canopy closure
- Shallow rooting depth due to seasonally saturated soils (Correct answer)
- Mixed-species stand with high diameter diversity
- Stand located in a sheltered valley bottom
Correct answer: Shallow rooting depth due to seasonally saturated soils
Shallow rooting caused by poor drainage or compacted soils severely limits anchorage, making trees highly susceptible to uprooting in newly exposed stand edges.
Question 7: Under the USDA Forest Service's 'Wildfire Risk to Communities' framework, the term 'community wildfire exposure' integrates which TWO primary factors?
- Fuel load and slope gradient
- Housing density and fire likelihood (Correct answer)
- Suppression capacity and road density
- Vegetation type and historical fire return interval
Correct answer: Housing density and fire likelihood
Community wildfire exposure in this framework combines the probability of wildfire occurrence with the density of structures at risk, identifying communities most vulnerable to loss.
CF Risk Assessment & Management 2
Which fire behavior model is most commonly used in the US to predict wildfire spread and intensity under various fuel and weather conditions?