LARE LARE Site Inventory and Analysis 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which mapping method provides the most accurate existing tree canopy data for a large urban park site inventory?
- Ground-level photo inventory
- LiDAR remote sensing combined with field verification (Correct answer)
- Aerial photography interpretation alone
- Surveyed dripline measurements of trees over 6-inch DBH only
Correct answer: LiDAR remote sensing combined with field verification
LiDAR captures three-dimensional canopy structure with high precision, and field verification confirms species identity and health status.
Question 2: A soil percolation test yields an infiltration rate of 0.5 inches per hour. What does this value suggest about the site's suitability for an infiltration basin?
- Excellent — the site will infiltrate stormwater rapidly
- Adequate — marginal for infiltration practices, may need amendment
- Poor — the site is unsuitable without significant soil improvement (Correct answer)
- Not applicable — percolation rate is irrelevant to infiltration basin design
Correct answer: Poor — the site is unsuitable without significant soil improvement
Most stormwater infiltration practices require a minimum infiltration rate of 0.5-1 inch per hour, so 0.5 in/hr is at the lower threshold, indicating poor suitability.
Question 3: During site inventory, a landscape architect identifies a historic stone wall along the property boundary. Under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, the preferred treatment to maintain its significance is:
- Reconstruction using new materials to match the original appearance
- Rehabilitation allowing compatible new uses while preserving historic character
- Restoration removing all non-historic additions
- Preservation in place with minimal intervention (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Preservation in place with minimal intervention
The Standards' Preservation treatment calls for stabilizing and maintaining existing historic materials with the least intervention, ideal when the resource is intact.
Question 4: A site analysis identifies a jurisdictional wetland in the southwest corner of a property, and the required 100-foot buffer would cover 40% of the buildable area. The best initial design strategy is to:
- Apply for a variance to reduce the buffer to 50 feet
- Cluster development outside the buffer and use the buffer as open space amenity (Correct answer)
- Fill the wetland under a Section 404 nationwide permit
- Reduce building footprints by 40% proportionally across the site
Correct answer: Cluster development outside the buffer and use the buffer as open space amenity
Clustering development outside the regulated buffer preserves the wetland's function, satisfies regulatory requirements, and converts the constraint into a site amenity.
Question 5: The K-factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) represents:
- Slope length and steepness
- Rainfall erosivity index
- Soil erodibility based on texture, structure, and organic matter (Correct answer)
- Crop management and vegetative cover factor
Correct answer: Soil erodibility based on texture, structure, and organic matter
The K-factor quantifies how susceptible a soil is to detachment and transport by rainfall and runoff, based on its physical and chemical properties.
Question 6: Which data layer is most critical in a site suitability analysis for a trail that must remain passable year-round in a northern climate?
- Prevailing wind direction during summer months
- Aspect (slope orientation) to identify north-facing slopes prone to ice and shade (Correct answer)
- Soil pH to determine surface treatment options
- Canopy cover percentage for aesthetic quality
Correct answer: Aspect (slope orientation) to identify north-facing slopes prone to ice and shade
North-facing slopes in northern climates receive less solar radiation, retaining ice and snow longer, making aspect a key suitability variable for all-season trail design.
Question 7: A site inventory map shows existing underground utilities crossing the center of a proposed plaza. The most appropriate early design response is to:
- Reroute the utilities at the owner's expense before design proceeds
- Locate plaza features to avoid deep excavation over utility corridors (Correct answer)
- Use a utility easement to restrict future planting in those areas only
- Install bridging structures over all utilities to allow unrestricted design
Correct answer: Locate plaza features to avoid deep excavation over utility corridors
Coordinating plaza layout to avoid deep foundations over utilities prevents costly conflicts, damage, or rerouting during construction.
LARE LARE Site Inventory and Analysis 4
Which mapping method provides the most accurate existing tree canopy data for a large urban park site inventory?