Forest Ecology & Silviculture Flashcards
7 cards from real FM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Forest Ecology & Silviculture flashcards as text
What is the ecological concept of 'carrying capacity' as applied to wildlife in a forest ecosystem?
Answer: Maximum population size an ecosystem can sustain indefinitely
Carrying capacity is the maximum population of a given species that a habitat can support long-term given its food, water, shelter, and space resources.
Which of the following tree species is classified as a FACULTATIVE mycorrhizal associate, commonly forming both ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal relationships?
Answer: Black cottonwood
Black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) and related poplars can associate with both ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi depending on site conditions.
In forest fire ecology, what term describes the accumulation of fuels that connects ground-level fuels to the tree canopy, enabling ground fires to transition to crown fires?
Answer: Fuel ladder
Ladder fuels are vertical fuel continuity (shrubs, low branches, snags) that allow fire to climb from the surface into the tree canopy, dramatically increasing fire severity.
A forest manager wants to increase structural complexity. Which management action would be LEAST effective for achieving this goal?
Answer: Conducting commercial clearcutting and removing all slash
Commercial clearcutting with complete slash removal simplifies stand structure by eliminating vertical layering, legacy features, and coarse woody debris that contribute to structural complexity.
Which phenomenon explains why species diversity often peaks at intermediate levels of disturbance in forest ecosystems?
Answer: The intermediate disturbance hypothesis
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis proposes that moderate, periodic disturbances prevent competitive dominants from excluding other species, maintaining higher diversity than either very low or very high disturbance regimes.
What is the difference between 'gross increment' and 'net increment' in stand growth accounting?
Answer: Gross is total growth; net subtracts mortality and harvest losses
Gross increment is total volume growth added by the stand, while net increment subtracts volume losses from mortality and removals, reflecting actual standing volume change.
In the context of forest ecosystem services, which category does 'carbon sequestration' belong to?
Answer: Regulating services
Carbon sequestration is a regulating service because it moderates the composition of the atmosphere, helping to regulate climate by removing CO₂ from the air.