LARE LARE Site Inventory and Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A site inventory reveals a seasonal high water table at 18 inches below grade. Which design response is most appropriate for a proposed lawn area?
- Install subsurface drainage tiles before planting (Correct answer)
- Raise the finish grade with imported fill
- Select deep-rooted trees to lower the water table
- Specify drought-tolerant groundcover only
Correct answer: Install subsurface drainage tiles before planting
Subsurface drainage tiles lower the effective water table and allow turf to establish healthy root zones above saturated conditions.
Question 2: During a slope analysis, which slope range is generally identified as most suitable for active recreational facilities such as sports fields?
- 0-1%
- 1-5% (Correct answer)
- 5-10%
- 10-15%
Correct answer: 1-5%
Slopes of 1-5% provide adequate surface drainage while remaining flat enough for safe athletic use and ADA-accessible paths.
Question 3: A Unified Soil Classification (USC) designation of 'CH' indicates which soil characteristic most relevant to site grading?
- Poorly graded gravel with high permeability
- High-plasticity clay with significant shrink-swell potential (Correct answer)
- Well-graded sand suitable for structural fill
- Organic silt with low bearing capacity
Correct answer: High-plasticity clay with significant shrink-swell potential
CH soils are fat clays with high plasticity index, making them prone to shrink-swell movement that can destabilize pavements and foundations.
Question 4: Which element of a solar analysis is most critical when siting a new passive-solar community building on a temperate northern-hemisphere site?
- Maximizing south-facing glass exposure (Correct answer)
- Avoiding east-facing exposures entirely
- Orienting the ridge line north-south
- Maximizing roof pitch for solar panel efficiency
Correct answer: Maximizing south-facing glass exposure
South-facing glazing captures low winter sun for passive heating while roof overhangs can shade the same glass in summer.
Question 5: An inventory map shows a 100-year floodplain boundary crossing a proposed park site. Which agency's regulations primarily govern development within this zone?
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) (Correct answer)
- EPA Clean Water Act Section 402
- USFWS Endangered Species Act Section 7
Correct answer: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
FEMA administers the NFIP and sets floodplain management regulations that local communities must adopt to participate in the program.
Question 6: During a site visit, a landscape architect notices a distinct change in vegetation from upland forest to sedge-dominated wetland. The transition zone between these communities is best described as:
- A riparian corridor
- An ecotone (Correct answer)
- A hydric soil indicator
- A successional climax community
Correct answer: An ecotone
An ecotone is the transitional zone between two adjacent ecological communities, often exhibiting high biodiversity from both communities.
Question 7: A topographic survey shows closed contour lines with hachure marks on a site. What landform do these lines represent?
- A ridge with drainage flowing outward
- A depression or closed basin collecting water (Correct answer)
- A uniformly sloped hillside
- An escarpment or cliff face
Correct answer: A depression or closed basin collecting water
Hachure marks on closed contours indicate a depression where elevation decreases toward the center, unlike a hill where elevation increases.
LARE LARE Site Inventory and Analysis 2
A site inventory reveals a seasonal high water table at 18 inches below grade.
Which design response is most appropriate for a proposed lawn area?