CORE Natural Resource Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a riparian buffer zone along waterways?
- To provide parking and access points near rivers
- To protect water quality by filtering runoff and stabilizing streambanks (Correct answer)
- To mark private property boundaries near water
- To restrict all recreational access to rivers and streams
Correct answer: To protect water quality by filtering runoff and stabilizing streambanks
Riparian buffer zones are strips of vegetation along waterways that filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and protect aquatic habitats from adjacent land uses.
Question 2: Which soil conservation technique involves plowing and planting along the natural contour lines of a slope?
- Terracing
- Strip cropping
- Contour farming (Correct answer)
- No-till farming
Correct answer: Contour farming
Contour farming involves plowing and planting horizontally along the natural contour lines of slopes to slow runoff and reduce soil erosion.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of prescribed burns in natural resource management?
- To clear land for agricultural development
- To manage vegetation, reduce fuel loads, and maintain ecosystem health (Correct answer)
- To punish landowners for grazing violations
- To generate revenue from the sale of wood ash
Correct answer: To manage vegetation, reduce fuel loads, and maintain ecosystem health
Prescribed burns are controlled fires used to reduce excess vegetation fuel loads, promote native plant growth, and maintain ecosystems that depend on periodic fire.
Question 4: Approximately what percentage of all land in the United States is federally owned and managed?
- About 10%
- About 28% (Correct answer)
- About 50%
- About 75%
Correct answer: About 28%
Approximately 28% of all land in the United States is owned and managed by federal agencies including the Forest Service, BLM, NPS, and FWS.
Question 5: Which document guides the long-term management of a National Forest, directing all resource decisions over a 10–15 year period?
- Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) (Correct answer)
- Environmental Impact Statement only
- A Congressional appropriations resolution
- A Presidential Executive Order
Correct answer: Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan)
Each National Forest operates under a Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) that sets goals and standards guiding all management activities for the planning period.
Question 6: What is the primary function of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under NEPA?
- To collect entrance and user fees for federal lands
- To analyze the potential environmental effects of a proposed federal action (Correct answer)
- To levy fines against violators of environmental laws
- To inventory all plant and animal species in a region
Correct answer: To analyze the potential environmental effects of a proposed federal action
An EIS is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that analyzes the environmental consequences of proposed major federal actions before decisions are finalized.
CORE Natural Resource Management 2
What is the primary purpose of a riparian buffer zone along waterways?