FM Forest Planning & Resource Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document type provides the long-term strategic direction for managing a National Forest, typically covering a 10-15 year period?
- Annual Operating Plan
- Forest Management Plan (Correct answer)
- Timber Sale Contract
- Environmental Impact Statement
Correct answer: Forest Management Plan
A Forest Management Plan (also called a Forest Plan or Land and Resource Management Plan) provides the long-term strategic direction for managing a National Forest over 10-15 years.
Question 2: In forest resource inventories, what does 'basal area per acre' measure?
- The total height of all trees combined
- The cross-sectional area of tree stems at breast height per unit area (Correct answer)
- The volume of merchantable timber per acre
- The number of trees per acre
Correct answer: The cross-sectional area of tree stems at breast height per unit area
Basal area per acre measures the total cross-sectional area of tree stems at breast height (4.5 feet) summed across all trees in a given acre.
Question 3: What is the primary goal of 'uneven-aged' forest management?
- Harvesting all trees at the same rotation age
- Maintaining a mix of trees in multiple age and size classes simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Planting monoculture stands for maximum timber production
- Clearfelling and replanting on a fixed schedule
Correct answer: Maintaining a mix of trees in multiple age and size classes simultaneously
Uneven-aged management maintains a continuous distribution of tree sizes and ages, creating structural diversity and enabling perpetual selective harvesting.
Question 4: Under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), what is required before a timber sale can be approved on federal land?
- Only a timber cruise report
- Compliance with the Forest Plan and completion of NEPA analysis (Correct answer)
- Approval from the state governor
- A public auction with minimum 5 bidders
Correct answer: Compliance with the Forest Plan and completion of NEPA analysis
NFMA requires that all timber sales comply with the applicable Forest Plan and that NEPA environmental analysis is completed prior to approval.
Question 5: What is the 'mean annual increment' (MAI) concept used for in forest planning?
- Calculating annual wildfire risk
- Determining the average volume growth per year over a tree's or stand's lifetime (Correct answer)
- Estimating annual precipitation patterns
- Measuring average soil nutrient depletion
Correct answer: Determining the average volume growth per year over a tree's or stand's lifetime
Mean annual increment (MAI) represents the average annual growth in volume over a stand's entire rotation, and its peak value often determines the biological rotation age.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'multiple-use management' on US National Forests?
- Managing solely for maximum timber production
- Balancing timber, recreation, wildlife, watershed, and grazing uses simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing wilderness preservation over all other uses
- Allocating different forests exclusively to single uses
Correct answer: Balancing timber, recreation, wildlife, watershed, and grazing uses simultaneously
Multiple-use management, mandated by the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, requires balancing timber, recreation, wildlife, watershed protection, and livestock grazing on National Forests.
Question 7: In forest planning, what is a 'prescription' in the context of stand management?
- A legal requirement from the state forestry agency
- A specific set of management treatments designed to achieve stand objectives (Correct answer)
- A fertilizer application schedule
- A pesticide use permit
Correct answer: A specific set of management treatments designed to achieve stand objectives
A silvicultural prescription is a detailed, written set of management treatments specifying what actions will be taken in a stand to achieve defined resource management objectives.
FM Forest Planning & Resource Management 2
Which document type provides the long-term strategic direction for managing a National Forest, typically covering a 10-15 year period?