Forest Planning & Resource Management 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 Planning & Resource Management flashcards as text
What is the primary function of a 'road density standard' in a forest watershed management plan?
Answer: To limit sediment delivery to streams by controlling the total length of roads per watershed area
Road density standards limit the total miles of road per square mile of watershed to reduce sediment delivery to streams, protecting water quality and aquatic habitat.
In forest planning, what does 'land capability class' determine?
Answer: The suitability and intensity of use a site can support without long-term degradation
Land capability class rates the inherent ability of a site to support management activities without causing long-term productivity loss, guiding decisions about harvest intensity and reforestation methods.
Which of the following best describes the 'even-aged' management approach?
Answer: Managing stands so that all trees originate and are harvested within a relatively short time frame, creating a single age class
Even-aged management creates stands where all trees originate and are harvested within a compressed time frame, producing a single dominant age class adapted for shade-intolerant species.
What is the purpose of 'desired future condition' (DFC) statements in forest planning?
Answer: To describe the long-term resource conditions that management activities are designed to achieve over time
Desired future condition statements articulate the long-term ecological, social, and economic resource conditions that a forest plan is designed to achieve, providing direction for all management activities.
What is 'forest fragmentation' and why is it a concern in forest management planning?
Answer: The breaking up of contiguous forest into smaller, isolated patches; it reduces habitat connectivity for wildlife and biodiversity
Forest fragmentation is the breaking up of continuous forest cover into smaller, isolated patches by roads, development, or harvesting, which reduces habitat connectivity and can negatively impact wildlife populations requiring large home ranges.
Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), what must a forest management plan do when a listed species is present?
Answer: Consult with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and ensure management activities do not jeopardize the species or destroy critical habitat
When a listed species is present, forest managers must conduct formal or informal consultation with USFWS under ESA Section 7, ensuring that management activities will not jeopardize the species' continued existence or adversely modify designated critical habitat.
What is the 'net present value' (NPV) criterion used for in forest management decision-making?
Answer: Comparing management alternatives by calculating the present value of future revenues minus costs, discounted to today's dollars
Net present value discounts future revenues and costs to their present-day equivalents using a specified discount rate, allowing comparison of management alternatives with different cash flow timing.